Dubai: Social media users have lashed out at an anchor woman with the Qatar-based Al Jazeera channel over her tweet denigrating Prince Khalid Al Faisal, the Emir of Makkah and Advisor to King Salman, saying he was senile.
Addressing a press conference in Makkah, Al Faisal said that 1,564 Qataris had arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform Haj.
The figure represents a clear increase over last year when 1,210 Qataris attended the Haj rituals last year.
However, Khadija Bin Gueenna, an Algerian anchor woman with Al Jazeera, doubted the figure and attributed it to the emir’s “cognitive decline.”
“Weak memory and focus in old age,” she posted to her followers in comments on Al Faisal’s statement.
Her remarks prompted a backlash from Saudis who said they were shocked by her outrageous senility claim.
“It is highly unfortunate that the Arab world has been afflicted by such people as the anchorwoman who stooped so low as to attack a man who had devoted his life to serving pilgrims,” Khalid Al Mitrafi posted.
Abu Abdul Mohsen said that Al Faisal was a source of pride for Saudi Arabia.
“At this old age, he is still serving God and pilgrims. He is looking after the comfort of those who had come to perform Haj. He is an iconic figure and a source of pride.”
