Government of KSA Bans Selfies & Videos at Islam’s Holiest Sites

The Saudi Arabian Government has banned pilgrims from taking photos and videos using smartphones or any other device at Makkah’s grand Mosque and Masjid-e-Nabvi in Madinah. Government of KSA Bans Selfies & Videos at Islam’s Holiest Sites.

This decision was taken when Russian born Israeli Jew Ben Tzion posted a selfie of a visit to Masjid-e-Nabvi. Many individual wrote some bad comments on Social media. Instagram suspended his account for this reason.

Government of KSA Bans Selfies & Videos at Islam’s Holiest Sites

After this incident, Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry communicated to foreign representatives through diplomatic note. Saudi authorities told that this law is imposed to protect and preserve two holiest sites of Islam. This will also prevent disturbance of worshipers and will ensure tranquiltiy while performing acts of worship.

Previously we have seen many pilgrim who shared pictures of holy sites on Instagram and Facebook. Many pilgrims used to take selfies in front of Holy Kaaba, on the upper floor of the Grand Mosque and standing under the umbrella-like canopies at Masjid-e-Nabvi (PBUH).

An official from Saudi Government stated that:

“In the case of any violation of the ban, security guards have been instructed to confiscate the photos and the camera if needed,”

These changes will also be observed by every Hajj and Umrah tour operators. The new  change will be disseminated to every Hajj and Umrah tour  in their respective countries. If someone don’t follow the law, a legal action will be taken against him.

Also Read: PITB to Help Nigerian Hajj Operations System Go Digital