Court documents suggest Jeffrey Epstein received fragments of Kiswah from the Kaaba
Recently declassified court documents in the United States indicate that in 2017, Jeffrey Epstein, an American businessman convicted of sexual exploitation, allegedly received several fragments of the Kiswathe sacred cloth covering the Kaaba in Mecca. This information appears in emails contained in Department of Justice (DOJ) files made public as part of the revelations of the Epstein Files. Several online media and publications on social networks relayed these exchanges.
Emails detail the operation
According to emails dated February to March 2017, Aziza Al-Ahmadi, a businesswoman based in the United Arab Emirates, coordinated the receipt of three fragments of the Kiswa with a Saudi contact identified as Abdullah Al-Maari. In a message dated March 22, 2017, she describes these fragments as having been touched by “millions of Muslims” during circumambulation rituals around the Kaaba.
The documents suggest that the fragments were declared on export as “artwork from Saudi Arabia” to facilitate their passage through customs. The package then allegedly transited through Miami before being delivered to Epstein’s residence in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, via LSJE LLC, an entity with which Epstein was associated. Invoices and delivery confirmations would appear in the files.
The Kiswa is the black cover embroidered with gold which covers the Kaaba, located in Mecca. It is replaced each year during the Hajj, and the removed pieces are traditionally kept by the Saudi authorities, sometimes given to institutions or as official diplomatic gifts. Possession of pieces of Kiswa outside of an official or religious setting can be considered sacred and extremely sensitive among many Muslims.
The disclosure of these elements sparked a strong reaction on social networksparticularly within Muslim communities. Internet users expressed questions regarding the legality of the operation, the identity of those responsible for exporting the fragments and Epstein’s motives. The documents mentioned are part of court files collected and released after US court rulings aimed at increasing transparency around Jeffrey Epstein’s network, relationships and activities.
