Ishaq Ishaq

KUWAIT: An intrepid adventurer, who has been walking from Paris to Makkah to perform umrah, arrived in Kuwait a few days ago. Ishaq, a 33-year-old Spaniard of Algerian descent, began his journey around five months back. He has already walked a distance of 6,400 km and is planning to reach his destination in 50 days. He is now waiting for a visa to enter Saudi Arabia. Ishaq was received by his Kuwaiti host Abu Mohammed Al-Mutairi at the Iraqi border in Abdaly. Mutairi promised him to help him obtain the umrah visa, and has put him up at his house till then.

This is Ishaq's first walking trip, which he calls the 'Walk of Peace'. He aims to deliver a message to the world that Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance, not terror and aggression. He wants to tell the world that Muslims are good people who love peace, not killing. Ishaq noted that he doesn't need anything, and only wants to reach Makkah. He doesn't have a big budget for this trip, and has managed to survive on Ä10 a day.

Ishaq told Kuwait Times about the mountainous terrain he had to cross during this journey, and it was very cold. "I stayed in a tent, and when I woke up in the mornings, my fingers were frozen. This was the biggest obstacle that I faced. Fortunately, I wasn't injured, but I faced some trying situations. Once I was sleeping in my tent and heard a wolf in the night. I cowered in the tent, and in the morning I saw the tracks of the wolf," he said. Ishaq began his journey by carrying his stuff in a backpack. After three days, he got exhausted and decided to travel with a trolley. During the journey, the wheels of the trolley got damaged, and he had to change them.

Ishaq is also documenting his journey. Various media outlets have interviewed him in the countries he passed through. He crossed from Europe into Turkey, then to Iran, Iraq and Kuwait, from where he will continue to Makkah.

By Nawara Fattahova