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Family's magical journey of faith
A Muslim family in Dewsbury are celebrating their own Christmas miracle – after their £32,000 pilgrimage nightmare turned into a "magical journey of a lifetime."
Nadim Nayyar and his family appeared in the pages of the Yorkshire Evening Post last year after they became victims of a suspected 'Hajj' scam.
The GP, from Liversedge, was due to fly to Saudi Arabia in December last year with eight members of his family – including wife Shazia and his elderly parents – for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Two million Muslims from across the world perform the spiritual journey every year.
The family had paid 32,700 to an operator based in Luton for their premium Hajj package but, just 48 hours before they were due to fly out, the whole thing was called off.
Their promised "top-quality" hotel had already been downgraded without notice, the route and airline changed and taxi and meal arrangements cancelled.
Two days before the planned flight, the family were told no more Hajj visas were being issued by the Saudis that year.
Dr Nayyar and other members of his group teamed up to sue the tour operator for breach of contract but the firm went bust before the case got to court.
The Nayyars eventually got most of their money back but only after several stressful months and after a regulator intervened and paid out of its insurance fund.
Dr Nayyar at the time said: "My feelings are that Allah has not called us to Hajj this year".
However, this year the family's prayers were answered and the rescheduled trip went without a hitch.
"We returned from a magical journey of a lifetime," Dr Nayyar, 40, told the YEP.
"It was everything we wanted and more, Alhamdulillah (thanks to God). We went with an operator called Al Hidaayah and they were amazing."
Dr Nayyar said that in the Hajj spirit of forgiveness, he had also telephoned the owner of Go 4 Hajj, the tour operator behind last year's fiasco.
The company completely folded last month, he was told.
More than two million Muslims from all over the world gather every year in the Saudi Arabian cities of Mecca and Medina for two weeks of intense worship.
The Hajj is followed by the Eid celebrations, which Muslims in the UK celebrated at the beginning of December.
About 25,000 British Muslims are believed to perform the Hajj pilgrimage every year.
Dr Nayyar was in a party of about 60 people and hundreds nationwide whose 2007 Hajj trips were arranged and cancelled by the now defunct Luton firm.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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