Some Jordanians perform umra on behalf of fallen pilot

AMMAN — Several Jordanians have performed umra on behalf of air force pilot Muath Kasasbeh, who was killed by the so-called Islamic State (IS) group.  

Umra, the lesser pilgrimage, is a visit Muslims make to the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, outside of the designated Hajj (greater pilgrimage) dates.

Several Jordanians posted photos on their Facebook accounts while performing umra holding signs that read: “Umra on behalf of our martyr Muath Kasasbeh”. 

Radwan Idrees, who works at a financing company in the Saudi city of Jeddah, said he went to Mecca to perform umra in memory of Kasasbeh. Jeddah is some 80 kilometres northwest of Mecca. 

“Thank God for enabling me to perform umra for the soul of our hero and martyr Muath Kasasbeh,” Idrees wrote along with a photo of him near the Kaabah, the cuboid building at the centre of the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

“This is the least we can offer to the martyr,” he said, adding that he posted the photo in order to urge people to do whatever they can for the soul of Kasasbeh.

Idrees was not the only one to perform umra on Kasasbeh’s behalf, as Mohammad Safouti and Ahmad Shawabkah as well as several other Jordanians have been posting photos of themselves over the past few days while performing umra in honour of the deceased pilot.