In February 2024, Attiyat al-Mohammadi, a 68-year-old woman from Egypt, embarked on a journey to Mecca to perform the Umrah for the first time. (The Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage to the city of Mecca, like the annual Hajj, but is performed throughout the year.) She had obtained a visitor visa from Abdel Hamid, a specialist in organizing discounted Hajj campaigns from Hihya in the Sharqia region of Egypt. Abdel Hamid aimed to reassure Attiyat’s family, who were skeptical about his credibility after learning that her visa was not a Hajj…
