SUBSCRIPTION SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 2014 SHAABAN 9, 1435 AH No: 16189 World leaders Robot makes FIFA’s Blatter mark D-Day in friends on first ducks Qatar Ukraine7 shadow day31 at work re-vote43 calls Pilgrims pour into Makkah undeterred by MERS fears Max 46º 150 Fils Saudi Arabia’s MERS death toll hits 284 Min 32º MAKKAH: Muslim pilgrims from around the world are pouring into the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia, undeterred by the spread of the MERS virus which has killed 284 people in the kingdom. The mysterious Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is considered a deadlier but less transmissible cousin of the SARS virus that appeared in Asia in 2003 and infected 8,273 people, nine percent of whom died. MERS first appeared in Saudi Arabia in April 2012, and the kingdom remains the worst-hit country, accounting for the bulk of a global death toll. But the faithful who dream of visiting the holy shrines in dina at least once in their lives continue toشMakkah and M pour into Makkah to perform the lesser umrah pilgrimage. “We have received warnings by authorities in our country about MERS and were informed of the importance of taking precautions,” said 45-year-old Abdullah, a pilgrim from Malaysia. Wearing a mask, Abdullah said he applies disinfec- tants as he enters the Grand Mosque in Makkah. “God will pro- tect me,” he said. More pilgrims are expected to arrive with the approach of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which starts late in June, and sees hundreds of thousands descend on Makkah for umrah. But numbers will rocket when pilgrims arrive for hajj, the largest annual religious gathering worldwide, which takes place this year in October. Local authorities in Makkah are dis- tributing leaflets and brochures containing advice on hygiene and measures to prevent the risk of infection by the coron- avirus. Tunisian pilgrim, Safia Bin Mohammed shrugged off the fears of MERS. “I am not afraid of the coronavirus,” she said, pointing out that it is not always easy to get a visa to perform pilgrimage. “It was not easy to come here, so I couldn’t have postponed my pilgrimage,” said the 56-year-old woman, insist- ing she was “complying with the medical precautions.” In a preemptive measure to avoid a potential importation of NAJD: In this file photo, a festival official touches the lip of a Majahim camel, the virus, Tunisian authorities have advised nationals to post- originally from Najd, Saudi Arabia, during the final day of Mazayin Dhafra pone their plans for pilgrimage this year. The virus has been Camel Festival. A new study published by the New England Journal of imported to more than a dozen other countries. All of those Medicine offers the strongest evidence yet that Middle East Respiratory cases relate to people who became ill while in the Middle East, Syndrome, or MERS, spreads from camels to people. (Inset) Muslim pilgrims with some involving pilgrims travelling to the Muslim holy sites wear nose and mouth masks on the way to Islam’s holiest shrine, the Kaaba in western Saudi Arabia. Last year, five million pilgrims visited in the Muslim holy city of Makkah. — AP, AFP the kingdom for umrah and hajj. This year, the number of umrah pilgrims has reached 4.8 million since the start of the lunar Muslim calendar in October, according to official statistics. Camel to human jump Opposition calls for rally There is no evidence of sustained human-to-human trans- mission of MERS, according to WHO. MERS has now killed 284 By B Izzak Kuwait” Barrak told the press conference. During the televi- people out of 691 infected in Saudi Arabia since it first sion interview with Al-Youm channel, Barrak alleged that appeared. “We are complying with the instructions of the KUWAIT: The opposition Popular Action Movement (PAM) the bank account of a former senior official inflated from a health authorities. The situation seems normal,” said yesterday called for a public gathering outside the National meager $239 million to as much as $23 billion within a span Murshed Ahmed, a Bangladeshi leading a group of 23 pil- Assembly next Tuesday for the first such protest in several of six years. grims from his country. “The coronavirus has no impact on months. Secretary general of PAM and former MP He also revealed several major transfers involving high the umrah season,” said Saad Al-Qurashi, a Saudi who works Mussallam Al-Barrak told a press conference following an profile corruption but he did not reveal names. Barrak said for an agency specialized in religious tourism. emergency meeting of the group that he would reveal more that “it is the right of the Kuwaiti people to know the details But the head of a similar agency, speaking on condition of details about allegations of a huge financial scandal he of what I said in the interview and I am going to do exactly anonymity, seemed more cautious. “The hotel occupancy exposed in a television interview last month. that”. The former outspoken lawmaker also hinted at the rate remains averagely normal for this time of the year, but It was not immediately known why the group has decid- start of “a new battle” against corruption and urged the we never know how the situation will evolve in Ramadan,” he ed to call for the gathering now and what kind of informa- Kuwaiti people to join in the battle, insisting that he is “con- said. Like SARS, MERS appears to cause a lung infection, with tion and details Barrak would announce. “In the name of fident of victory”. Barrak also vowed that he will reveal facts patients suffering coughing, breathing difficulties and a tem- PAM, I invite all Kuwaitis for the meeting and to mobilize for that forces of corruption wanted to hide. perature. But MERS differs in that it causes rapid kidney fail- ure. — AFP LOCAL SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 2014 KUWAIT: Kuwait Interior Ministry Undersecretary Lt General Suleiman Al-Fahad honoring distinguished officers, commissioned officers and individuals at the conclu- sion of the 2013/2014 training season at the special security sector. Al-Otaibi denies MPs up in arms against offending PAAET director ‘immoral’ TV serial By A. Saleh ‘Shameful and disgusting’ KUWAIT: MP Saadoun Al-Otaibi denied accusations that he offended a senior official at the Public Authority for Applied By B. Izzak and Agencies exchanged on social media recently, and Islamic and Kuwait society values and safe- Education and Training, but confirmed that an argument hap- shows actress Ilham Al-Fadhala telling actor guard the constitution which says that the pened during a recent meeting of the parliament’s petitions KUWAIT: MPs were up in arms against a Hameed Al-Beloushi “do you know what it state safeguards public values and preserves committee. Kuwaiti serial that is scheduled to be shown means to sleep with two sisters?” This sen- the family.” PAAET Director Dr Ahmad Al-Athari had filed a case at the in the fasting month of Ramadan by Dubai- tence started the argument and sharp Al-Huraiji condemned the placement of Adailiya police station against Otaibi, accusing him of libel and based MBC and which reportedly includes exchanges over the social media. the series on Kuwait Television agenda as it making verbal threats after storming his office. “immoral scenes”. A large number of MPs includes low ethics and distorts the Kuwait But Otaibi says that a verbal exchange took place between called on the information minister to exert Controversial question family image, within the schedule of the holy Athari and members of the petitions committee while discussing his efforts to try and stop the pan-Arab satel- Actress Ilham Al-Fadhala said on her month of Ramadan, and held minister Sheikh complaints over hiring at the PAAET. lite channel from showing it especially dur- instagram account that the series was filmed Salman responsible for holding all those “I can assure to the public that we invited the PAAET director ing the holy month of Ramadan. a year ago and does not have anything who approved its showing among ministry to [the committee’s] meeting where an argument happened A number of officials and actors of the wrong and what you have seen is just a pro- leaders and TV officials. between him on one side, and me and the other MPs on the oth- serial however denied that it contains any mo. “How do you make a judgment and you He said that all those who bought the er,” Otaibi said in a statement Thursday. immoral scene insisting that these are merely have not seen it?” she wondered. rights of broadcasting the “incest” show The argument was over allegations that Athari appointed rumours not based on truth. The information Fadhala added that Beloushi plays her using public funds committed unforgettable unqualified expatriate personnel at the PAAET for jobs exclusive ministry also denied in a statement that it husband who marries a close friend she crimes by squandering public funds and to Kuwaiti employees. planned to show the serial in Kuwait adding regards as a sister behind her back, hence destroying the values and ethics system of “The PAAET director hired an Iranian, Syrian, Jordanian and that the ministry had nothing to do with the the reason she makes the controversial ques- the conservative Muslim society. Egyptian employees in jobs allocated for Kuwaitis only, while serial in its production or broadcasting. tion during the serial. Meanwhile MP Adel Al-Kharafi described some of them do not have a high school degree,” Otaibi said. He Current and former MPs had asked the The promo sparked condemnation from clips he saw from the series as shameful and added that the aforementioned employees helped enroll expatri- government to ban the TV series that the parliament and arguments on social disgusting.