Amal Labarre Ahlafi is walking 1,600 kilometers from Al-Quds to Mecca, a journey inspired by her passion for peace and the lives of the Prophet's Companions. Despite many obstacles, she is determined to complete this symbolic pilgrimage and share the stories of the Sahaba along the way. Moroccan mother Amal Labarre Ahlafi is walking 1,600 kilometers for peace, crossing the desert to connect three holy cities: Al-Quds, Medina and Mecca. In a time marked by war and atrocities in the region, Amal has chosen to transform her journey into a march for peace, motivated by a deep sense of helplessness and a desire to act. «I'm sick and tired of what's happening in the world. I wanted to do something», she told Yabiladi in a voice memo while resting after a long day of walking. Currently in northern Saudi Arabia, Amal's journey began on May 16 in Al-Quds, after a long trip from Paris via Prague. But the idea to walk for peace was born three years earlier, in the very same place. The dream walk In 2022, while visiting Al-Quds with her husband to celebrate their wedding anniversary, the mother of three stopped by the Al-Aqsa compound. Sitting by the Dome of the Rock, she had a thought: «What if I go to Mecca?» The idea grew: «What if I walk from here to Medina and Mecca, how long would that take?» It was such an unusual thought that even when she reached for her phone to check the route on Google Maps, she couldn't. «I had to calculate it myself. It was roughly 1,500 kilometers. And I parked the idea in my head». For the longest time, the thought of walking from Al-Quds to Mecca stayed with her. It didn't fade even after she performed Hajj in 2023 for the first time. «All I could hear was, I want to do it, I want to do it, I want to do it». This urge was further intensified by the tragic war on Gaza. «I said, what if I do what I know how to do, walk and go through the three holy cities, praying where I believe my prayers will be heard by Allah, for the sake of peace?» Planning a dream Based in Paris and working in finance, Amal did everything she could to bring her dream to life. «For the past six months, I left no stone unturned to make this happen», she recalled. She treated her walk for peace like a work project. Even when challenged and discouraged by the unfolding events, she kept going. «In project management, you have what's called the RAG status : red, amber, green. In my case, everything was red. Nothing was green», she joked. Securing visas, the right gear, and timing was a logistical headache. «I had to write to so many people asking for help and support to make this plan happen. Of course, I couldn't do it alone—I'm a woman, and there were safety concerns. I needed the right organization». But as one thing would go smoothly, another would fall apart. «When Jordan was sorted, Saudi Arabia wasn't; when Saudi Arabia was sorted, Jordan wasn't», she admitted. For months, Amal struggled to arrange the logistics for her journey. It was an emotional roller coaster, feeling happy and excited when receiving positive news, and downhearted when something fell through. Still, she was determined. At work, she saved all her leave to take a month off for her Jerusalem-to-Mecca walk. All the while, she kept her plans quiet. «I didn't want negative vibes coming in. So I kept it to myself, just saying I was going to walk for a month—but not where—until a week before departure», she explained. Even when she told her close circle, not all reactions were supportive. «Everyone was saying it wasn't the right time to do this», referring to the current political climate in the region. «But in my mind, if you want to do something for peace, this is exactly the right time. You don't march for peace when everything is fine», she argued. And when everything was finally ready, one last obstacle arose. Amal was supposed to start her journey on May 1, but she learned the day before that her flight had been canceled. «You should have seen my face!» she recalled. «I ran to my daughter's room and said, 'My flight is canceled, my flight is canceled!'» She quickly packed her bags and, two hours later, was in a cab heading to Prague. «That was the only flight I could find, and that's why the route was Paris to Prague to Tel Aviv». Walking in the Sahaba's footsteps Amal's walk is not only about peace; it is also a tribute to the Companions of the Prophet. That's why she calls her it Le Chemin des Sahabas—The Sahaba's Way. She is literally walking in a land where they lived, traveled, fought, and died. Along her journey to Mecca and Medina, she is visiting their tombs, retracing their paths, and sharing their stories in a podcast Le Chemin des Sahabas, every Friday. «When we were passing through Jordan, I realized we were in Mu'tah, where many companions were martyred. I wondered if we could visit their tombs—and, amazingly, I was able to visit the graves of the Prophet's cousin and his adoptive son», she said proudly. After crossing Jordan, Amal arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday. From the Saudi border, she walked from Al-Mudawwara and reached Tabuk by Tuesday. Ahead lies an even tougher stage: 250 kilometers of desert and scorching sun. «We'll need to carry groceries and supplies for six to seven days straight», she explained. Amal plans to stay in Medina for only one night before continuing to Mecca, which is 400 kilometers away, where she hopes to perform Umrah. But Amal isn't intimidated as this isn't her first challenge. She has already walked across Mongolia, covering the distance of one marathon per day for three weeks, to raise funds for a child's heart surgery in Africa. Two years later, she did the same on the Santiago Camino, walking around 1,500 kilometers to raise money for another child's heart surgery. «Both surgeries were successful, and both children returned healthy to their parents», she proudly said.
