Among the five big rules
which govern the lives of Muslims is the requirement to visit Mecca once in a lifetime. There are get-out
clauses for the poor (just as well in view of the visa prices) or infirm but
generally a visit is to be bagged in the quest for paradise. Pilgrims follow
strict rules including the requirement for men to wear ihram, a white rectangle
wrapped (no stitching, no knotting) around the male person without the
fettering of undergarments.
Despite clear demonstrations
on u-tube showing tried and tested wrapping and fixing techniques, the majority
of British pilgrims take a cavalier attitude to ihram stability. As a result,
having run the gauntlet of the aircraft steps at Heathrow, all is in disarray
by the time they reach seat 48B. If like me your employer requires you to
regularly make the trip from Heathrow to Jeddah (the nearest airport to Mecca), I recommend
facing forward, head motionless. Remember, eyes are nether-height when seated on
an aircraft!
I once made an exception
when a group of sporty, olive skinned students from Bradford
joined me on the flight; only good manners to acknowledge and assist fellow
countrymen on their holy endeavors!
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