Muslim pilgrims ride to Mecca on horseback: who is paying for it?
A group of Spanish Muslims is riding to Mecca on horseback, leaving one question unanswered: who is funding the expedition?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Mecca on horseback: the Spanish pilgrimage that leaves questions without a payer
A group of Spanish Jovenlandeses has set out on a journey to Mecca on horseback, and the question of who is funding the adventure comes before any religious blessing. The story is circulating with videos and photos, but nobody explains the bill.
A double border: faith and animal health
Mecca only admits Jovenlandeses, and the travellers say they are. That solves access, but not logistics. Crossing Spain and France with horses involves veterinary paperwork, customs and checks that Saudi Arabia does not make easy. The Haram area, home to the Grand Mosque, is no riding ground: the horses will most likely be confiscated before they arrive.
The shadow of the funding
The journey is not cheap: feed, stables, insurance and weeks on the road. Someone is paying, and there is no public answer. Some see an image operation by Sarracin, with the money as the main question mark; others read it as a simple display of devotion with deep historical roots. In memory, the pilgrimage of El Rocío is also made on horseback, but that one requires no visas or health certificates.
The matter ends where it began: an act of faith or a calculated manoeuvre, with an awkward question in the middle of the arena: who is putting up the money?
A group of Spanish Jovenlandeses has set out on a journey to Mecca on horseback, and the question of who is funding the adventure comes before any religious blessing. The story is circulating with videos and photos, but nobody explains the bill.
A double border: faith and animal health
Mecca only admits Jovenlandeses, and the travellers say they are. That solves access, but not logistics. Crossing Spain and France with horses involves veterinary paperwork, customs and checks that Saudi Arabia does not make easy. The Haram area, home to the Grand Mosque, is no riding ground: the horses will most likely be confiscated before they arrive.
The shadow of the funding
The journey is not cheap: feed, stables, insurance and weeks on the road. Someone is paying, and there is no public answer. Some see an image operation by Sarracin, with the money as the main question mark; others read it as a simple display of devotion with deep historical roots. In memory, the pilgrimage of El Rocío is also made on horseback, but that one requires no visas or health certificates.
The matter ends where it began: an act of faith or a calculated manoeuvre, with an awkward question in the middle of the arena: who is putting up the money?
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (24 replies).
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