Iraqi pilgrim commits suicide in Makkah's Grand Mosque

Pilgrim's mother shifted to hospital upon learning of incident

Another pilgrim has taken his own life at Makkah's Grand Mosque, making it the third such incident this year, according to Gulf News.

The Iraqi pilgrim had been suffering from health crisis from time to time, his family has claimed.

Hussain Hameed al Haidari threw himself from the elevated Kaaba circumambulation area onto the courtyard where worshipers were circling the sacred edifice or praying.

His family has said that al Haidari’s mother with whom he was performing Hajj had to be shifted to a local hospital after learning about the suicide of her son.



“Al Haidari, from the Nahrowan area in Iraq, went to perform the religious pilgrimage with his mother. He is known to have a history of health issues,” a relative said.

The relative did not say whether the mother was with him when he took his own life.

A spokesperson for the Iraqi Hajj mission, Hassan Fahad al Kanani, confirmed the identity of the dead man, saying that he was born in 1975. He said that the reasons for the suicide were not yet known.

Al Kanani reported that other Iraqis staying in the same hotel as al Haidari said that he had some health issues leading to the death of one of his son months ago.



Suicides at the Grand Mosque are very rare, especially that taking one’s life is strictly forbidden in Islam.

However, in June, a Bangladeshi man had committed suicide by jumping from the first floor of the Grand Mosque into the Kaaba circumambulation area.

He fell on a Sudanese man in his fifties who was praying, causing him serious fractures and injuries.

A 26-year-old Frenchman had also committed suicide at the Grand Mosque by jumping from the rooftop in June.

The article originally appeared in Gulf News