Gray Coi and Fairuz Hosni, BBC Private Services
Muslims around the world are outraged by documents that appear to show several pieces of cloth covering the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site, were sent to a disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Among the millions of documents on Epstein released by the United States Department of Justice on January 30 are emails from 2017 that indicate the sending of three pieces of what are claimed to be the Kaaba cloth, known as a Kiswa, from Saudi Arabia to Epstein's home in the Caribbean.
"Imagine a piece from the holiest place on Earth being sent to the filthiest!" wrote social media user X.
In the 2014 photo, Epstein and another man appear to be looking at a piece of cloth on the ground, which resembles the most ornate part of the kiswa that covers the door of the Kaaba.
According to the official version, Epstein killed himself in a New York prison in 2019., awaiting trial on serious charges of pimping minors for sex and sexual exploitation.
Another user on Xsa said the photo "breaks his heart to pieces" because the canvas is "spread out on the floor like a carpet."
However, this photo does not appear to be linked to documents indicating that parts of the shroud were sent to Epstein in 2017.
It is also unclear whether the fabric in the photo is truly an authentic part of the cloth that covers the Kaaba.
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Mosque
The kiswa is made of black silk and has verses from the Quran embroidered on it with gold and silver threads.
It covers all four outer walls of the Kaaba, the stone structure at the center of the Grand (Sacred) Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
The Kiswa is replaced every year during the Islamic New Year ceremony, after being touched by millions of pilgrims.
The US Department of Justice archives also contain correspondence from Epstein's associates and an email account under the name "Aziza al Ahmadi", which appears to have organized the sending of three pieces of the kiswa to Epstein in 2017.
One piece is described as green, from the interior of the Kaaba, another as black cloth from the outer covering that was used, and a third piece with embroidered prints that was made from the same materials but was unused.
In an email dated February 1, 2017, an assistant to someone identified as Ahmadi reportedly told Epstein's employees that he would "send some parts of the Kaaba for the mosque."
It is not clear whether the "mosque" is meant as a location on Epstein's property.
In the Epstein documents reviewed so far, there is no mention of a mosque on the island.
However, according to documents on the Ministry of Justice website, there is a reference to a small building labeled as a "temple."
It is not clear what exactly was meant in the correspondence.
It is a temple on the island of Little Saint James (Little Saint James), a small building with a golden dome in the southern part of the island,
The "mosque" mentioned in the document should not be confused with the Great Mosque in Mecca, which houses the Kaaba.
Documents show that the shipment arrived at Epstein's home in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 4, 2017.
She was then sent to the island of Saint Thomas in the Caribbean Sea, which belongs to US Virgin Islands.
It is near Little St. James Island, Epstein's private island, which multiple people who claim to have been victims of human trafficking have said is where they were taken and abused.
On a US Customs form dated March 14, 2017, the shipment was declared as "paintings, drawings and pastels" (paintings drawings & pastels) worth $10.980.
An email dated March 21 confirms the delivery of parts of the shroud to "Mr. Epstein's home."
After the shipment was shipped, an email that appeared to be sent from an Ahmadi account informed Epstein that the black piece had "touched at least 10 million Muslims of various factions - Sunni, Shia and others."
"They circumambulate the Kaaba seven times, then each one tries to touch it as much as they can, and everyone leaves their prayers, wishes, tears, and hopes on this piece," the email says.
It is not clear whether Epstein received the pieces of the shroud as a gift or whether they are authentic.
However, US Justice Department records indicate that this was not the first shipment to Epstein from Saudi Arabia.
In an email correspondence dated January 27, 2017, a person purporting to be an Ahmadi aide appeared to request "photos of the interior of the mosque" to enable the preparation of "something inside the mosque."
In an earlier email in the same correspondence, Epstein's assistant confirmed that "a tent and other household items" had arrived at Epstein's home.
In the files of the US Department of Justice there is a document with a photograph of a traditional Arab woolen tent and other objects such as carpets, coffee pots and cups, and baskets.
However, it cannot be confirmed whether these were the items delivered to Epstein in this shipment.
Both packages were sent after 2008, when he was convicted after pleading guilty to two charges of soliciting prostitution, including that of a minor.
Ahmadi did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.
The appearance of someone's name in documents is not proof that that person committed a crime.
Respected, not holy
The Saudi Arabian authorities have complete control over the kiswa - from the method of making, placing and removing it, to the use of the fabrics used.
However, there is no law regulating the distribution of old kiswas.
The BBC has requested additional information from the Saudi authorities, but has not received a response by the time of publication of this article.
"The pieces with gold and silver prints can only be given as gifts by officials of the Saudi Royal Court," Ahmed al-Halabi, a writer on the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages, told BBC Arabic.
"These parts are given to the heads of Muslim states and members of their governments."
"The remaining black cloth is usually cut into smaller pieces and can be given as gifts to lower-ranking officials," Halabi adds.
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Dr Simon O'Meara, a historian of Islamic art at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, says the kiswa is not "in itself sacred", but is highly revered in the Muslim world.
"It represents the honor and prestige of the Kaaba building, much like a royal cloak."
"When the kiswa is taken off, it must not be desecrated."
"It must not be stepped on."
Halabi questions the authenticity of the parts of the kiswa mentioned in the correspondence released by the US Department of Justice.
He also says that it is not permissible to give a kiswa as a gift to non-Muslims.
Ties with Saudi Arabia
According to documents from the US Department of Justice, it appears that from early 2016 to early 2019, there was email correspondence on various topics between a person signed as Ahmadi and Epstein.
In some emails, she addressed him as "boss" and "master," and documents indicate they met in several places, including New York and Paris.
According to documents released by the Department of Justice, Epstein appears to have been trying to influence the Saudi government through Ahmadi.
An email sent from Ahmadi's account in July 2016 indicates that she was trying to arrange a meeting between Epstein and a person named "HE Rafat (Raafat)," who the email stated "enjoyed" Epstein's company.
HE probably means "His Excellency" (His Excellency), a title used for high-ranking state officials in Saudi Arabia.
According to documents released by the Justice Department, in an email sent to a person named Ahmadi in August 2016, Epstein proposed a "financial due diligence" and opposed the public trading of Aramco stock, likely referring to Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company.
Later, Ahmadi said she would "check it out" and in her response, she added the address of a person named "Raafat Alsabah (Raafat Alsabbagh)" to the email.
An email from November 2016 from the account of one of Epstein's assistants reads: "Aziza is an assistant to HE Rafata."
In multiple emails sent to different recipients, Epstein describes "Rafat Al-Sabah" as "an advisor to the deputy crown prince of Saudi Arabia."
In a 2017 report by the official Saudi Press Agency, he was listed as an "advisor at the Royal Court."
According to emails in Justice Department documents, someone named "Sabah (Sabbagh)" appears to have had frequent correspondence with Epstein.
A 2016 text message to Epstein from an account under the name "Raafat al Sabah (Raafat Al-Sabbagh)" reads: "I value myself for your friendship."
An email to Epstein from an account under the name "Raafat Alsabbagh" linked to a news story about a 17-year-old Russian beauty queen who had allegedly fled to Dubai to sell her virginity.
The pedophile replied: "You're finally sending me something valuable."
However, there is little information about Ahmadi in the documents.
But in an email from September 2018, someone under that name appears to be asking Epstein for advice regarding her smartphone and tablet gaming company.
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There are still many questions regarding the Kaaba shroud and the relationships between Epstein and the people mentioned in the emails.
Meanwhile, there are growing demands in the Muslim world for Saudi authorities to launch a thorough investigation.
Additional reporting: Kavun Kamuš
Editor: Kate Forbes
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