by Nurat Uthman
Tunisian President Kais Saied on Friday dismissed Brahim Chaibi, the minister of religious affairs, following widespread criticism after the deaths of dozens of Tunisians taking part in the Hajj, the presidency said.
At least 49 Tunisians have died from the extreme heat in Saudi Arabia during the pilgrimage to Islam’s holiest sites over the past week. Tunisian families are still searching for several missing people.
The death toll from this year’s hajj has topped 1,000, according to an @AFP tally, because of extreme heat in Saudi Arabia.
Nearly 10 countries have reported 1,081 deaths during the pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars of Islam and is required to be performed by all Muslims with the means at least once in their lifetime.
On Friday, a senior Saudi official defended the Gulf kingdom’s management of the Hajj
“The state did not fail, but there was a misjudgment on the part of people who did not appreciate the risks,” the official told AFP in the government’s first comments on the deaths. The news agency did not name the official, and did not provide reasons for the anonymity
