Two Technical Glitches and Then Hajj Journey – Libyan Pilgrim’s Story Burns Internet

Amid the pouring in of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims in Makkah for annual Hajj, the story of Libyan pilgrim, Amer Al Mahdi Mansour Al Gaddafi, who needed two technical glitches for flight to the Holy City, stands out

Amid the pouring in of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims in Makkah for annual Hajj, the story of Libyan pilgrim, Amer Al Mahdi Mansour Al Gaddafi, who needed two technical glitches for flight to the Holy City, stands out.

Amer al Mahdi Mansour al Gaddafi was part of a Libyan group to embark on the Hajj journey. His plans, however, got stuck at the airport when he was not allowed to board the plane because of the “security reasons” as cited by the immigration staff.

He pleaded with the immigration officers and flight captain, to no avail.

The Afriqiyah Airways Hajj flight took off to Jeddah without him. But as it happened, after few minutes in the air, the flight reported some technical glitch, forcing the pilots to return it back to the airport.

Amer al Mahdi Mansour al Gaddafi was at the airport, refusing to go back home. “I will not move from here unless it’s toward Hajj,” he said.

The necessary repairs and maintenance were done. Amer once again pleaded with the flight captain. He, however, insisted on departing without him, citing security uncertainty and scheduling constraints.

And, the flight took off to its desired destination once again without Amer al Mahdi Mansour. Much to the surprise of the crew, the flight again developed a technical issue, necessitating an emergency return for a second time.

Following the second emergency landing, the captain announced, “I swear, I won’t fly again unless Amer is with us on this plane.”

Consequently, the immigration officials quickly cleared Amer for travel. The flight departed with him on board and safely reached Jeddah on the third attempt.

(عامر المهدي منصور القذافي) شاب ليبي قرر حج بيت الله وعند وصوله المطار واجه مشكلة أمنية في جواز السفر (بسبب اسم العائلة) فتأخر وأصر الكابتن على الإقلاع بدونه قائلاً بأنه لا يمكن الانتظار حتى يتم حل مشكلة الجواز... أمّا عامر فأصر بأنه لن يبرح المطار حتى يذهب للحج.

أقلعت الطائرة… pic.twitter.com/RMSdVrr4rO

— إياد الحمود (@Eyaaaad) May 23, 2025

It later turned out that Amer al Mahdi Mansour al Gaddafi was not allowed to board the plane because of the surname “Gaddafi”, a part of Colonel Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi – the former President of Libya. Al Gaddafi is still flagged in some systems though Amer al Mahdi Mansour has nothing to do with his namesake.

Amer’s journey to Makkah is widely shared on internet and different social media platforms as an extraordinary tale of faith, persistence, and destiny.

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is mandatory on every Muslim, man or woman, who is in good health and can afford the costs.

Muslims believe that the Hajj journey does not solely depend on affordability - it is a divine invitation, granted only to those chosen by Allah. Amer’s story, shared widely on social media, has become a moving reminder of this belief — and a testament to the strength of faith and persistence.

(With inputs from Gulf News)

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