With little more than a pair of shoes on their feet and a day's lunch in their backpacks, a group of Tajik men is going retro for this year's hajj pilgrimage.
The seven men set off this week on a 4,600-kilometer trek that will take them through six countries en route to Mecca; they've already reached the first: Afghanistan. The journey will take months, but they expect to have ample time for sightseeing and adventure.
"All our documents are in order," says the head of the group, Abdulaziz Rajabov.
Now the goal is to reach their destination "just in time to participate in the pilgrimage," the former professional runner says of the hajj, which is expected to fall in late October.
The pilgrimage will take them across parts of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia -- that much is clear. Everything else, however, has plainly been left to chance.
No hotels have been booked and the men, six of whom are pensioners, left home with none of the usual amenities of modern travel. They won't have travel insurance or traveler's cheques, and none in the group has so much as heard of a credit card.
The idea is to spend nights in mosques. Rajabov says there are no clear plans for what and where to eat but that he is confident they will meet "kind people" along the way.
Mostly First-Time Travelers
Rajabov, who is in his 60s, has already traveled once to Mecca by foot, a 19-month journey starting from Russia made less arduous by the strangers who took him into their homes and offered him food, clothes, and shoes.
"I didn't have any problem in any country apart from Russia," Rajabov said.
"Russian police detained and interrogated me for 12 days," Rajabov said. "They asked me what side I took during Tajik civil war [in 1990s]. I told them I didn't take any sides. They checked my background and let me go."
The men, along with other locals, posed for a group picture before they set off from Kulob, Tajikistan
The rest of the group members will be experiencing their first travel abroad.
Amriddin Ismoilov says the pilgrimage is a "lot more than just performing the religious duty."
He says the trip is also about "health, sightseeing, and an adventure."
"I feel like an athlete," Ismoilov says. "We are using this trip to improve our health, too. I'm 60 years old, and I want to test if I'm capable of performing this trip."
Body And Soul
The men, the youngest of whom is 21, say they have trained for more than two years through long-distance walks and other physical activities.
Their native district of Kulob, which borders Afghanistan, has a relatively hot climate so the men hope they won't have too much trouble coping with the hot summer heat of the Middle East.
Rajabov and other travelers insist the trip is not about publicity. They are not tweeting or blogging or keeping a journal on their long-distance journey. In fact, the men did not even take a mobile phone.
Before leaving, Rajabov discussed the first stop -- Afghanistan -- where they will visit the grave of Ahmad Shah Massoud, a prominent ethnic Tajik commander assassinated by Al-Qaeda in 2001.
If everything goes according to plan, the men will join an estimated 6,000 Tajik pilgrims in Mecca and return -- by foot -- in May 2013.
The possibility thatSaudi Arabiamayrestrict or suspend the entry of Malaysian haj and umrah pilgrims because of the Bersih rally (Walk for Democracy) in Mecca and Medina have angered Muslims.
They regard action by a group of Malaysians who organised the Bersih rally in the holy land asgross and had tarnished the image of the country, religion and race.
Homemaker Norlidza Abdul Ghafar, 48, said that she was angry, sad, and sick with the action of the group as they were only after wordly gain.
"Remember, we want to be the guest of Allah to complete the haj and umrah. Who will beresponsibleifMuslimsdiebecause they are prevented from going because of action by Bersih supporters?. Will it be Anwar? or Ambiga?
"This is an attempt to deny Muslims the opportunity to perform the fifth rukun of Islam.
"I believe that all Muslims in this country are angry and disappointed with what happened," said the mother of seven children from Kemaman, Terengganu.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said yesterday, possibility of restriction on pilgrims was conveyed by the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Malaysia,Fahad A.H.Al-Rashid in a meetingon Friday.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said the Saudi Arabian government has asked Malaysia to take steps to ensure that its people did not participate in rallies in Mecca and Medina.
Anifah said that the Saudi Arabian government disclosed this via a diplomaticnote dated May 3, issued by the embassy here.
Ex-policeman Sidek Salleh, 59, said action by the Bersih group was not only unfair to other Muslims but also affected good ties between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.
"Are they all satisfied? What do they get? Iim very angry as it also affects people likeme who don'tsupport this evil group," he added.
Wan HuzaimiWan Abdullah,30, said stern action must be taken against those involved in the Bersih rally in Mecca and Medina to serveasa lesson to others.
"I'm very sad and disappointed with the action as it had strayed from their original goal when in the holy land,"added thecivil servant.
Meanwhile, Felda Travel Sdn Bhd haj and umrah consultant Haji Mohd Kamal Abdullah said he received calls from customers asking whether they could still perform the haj and umrah.
"I advised those registered with me for umrah or haj packages not to worry as the Malaysian government has good ties with the Saudi Arabian government," he said
For this year, it has received registration of 2,500people for umrah packages and 350 people for haj packages.
The decision on the Haj quota for the Malaysians pilgrims, wether it will bereduced following the opposition backed Bersih demonstrations in Mecca and Medina on April 26, will be know in July.
By RIYADH: ARAB NEWS Published: May 10, 2012 23:32 Updated: May 11, 2012 20:26
Former head of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Sheikh Saleh Al-Hosain has commended the judicious decisions taken by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to carry out various projects at the Grand Mosque in Makkah to improve facilities for pilgrims and other worshippers.
In a letter addressed to King Abdullah, he thanked the king for relieving him from the prestigious position on health reasons. "Looking after the affairs of the two holy mosques is a big duty and I am thankful to you for relieving me from a duty which I cannot fulfill now with its vast responsibilities," he said.
Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais has been appointed the new Haramain chief. Al-Hosain, who said he was honored to serve the two holy mosques during the past years and commended the king's initiatives to implement projects such as new Haram expansion, covering of Zamzam well, expansion of the circumambulation area around the Holy Kaaba and reorganization of movement of people in the courtyard near Ajyad Gate.
Drapery for Kaaba refused by Riyadh (50 Years ago today)
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has refused the traditional Egyptian (now U.A.R.) offering of the velvet drapery for the Kaaba and the Black Stone at Mecca, officials stated here yesterday. They said that the Saudi government had decided not to accept the Kissoua, or the drapery, sent by Egypt because the gift by the United Arab Republic in recent years had been of poor quality, quickly losing strength and colour.
The Kissoua is manufactured by a special department of the U.A.R. Ministry of Religious Affairs and exposed in one of Cairo’s mosques before being sent ceremoniously to Mecca.
According to a Cairo report, the last group of U.A.R. pilgrims has refused to land at Jeddah because of the refusal of the Saudi authorities to allow the U.A.R. official mission to transport the Kissoua to Mecca.
The pilgrims, numbering 1,100, were aboard the U.A.R. ship ‘Mecca’ which arrived yesterday at Jeddah with the official mission responsible for handing over the traditional drapery for the Kaaba. The Saudi authorities told the captain of the ship that they had formal instructions from their government to prevent the Kissoua from being landed, and to use force if necessary.
Landing pads for helicopters and 9 parachutes and 16 elevators to serve the disabled "" Reveal the details of the expansion project for the campus of King Abdullah in Mecca
مهابط للطائرات المروحية و9 مظلات و16 مصعدا لخدمة المعاقين “ ” تكشف تفاصيل مشروع توسعة الملك عبدالله للحرم المكي
U.S. military class taught 'total war' against Islam, destroying ''Mecca'' and ''Medina'' necessary for fighting radicals
Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba at the Grand mosque, on the last days of the annual haj pilgrimage, in Mecca November 8, 2011. May 11, 2012
WASHINGTON -A course for U.S. military officers has been teaching that America's enemy is Islam in general, not just terrorists, and suggesting that the country might ultimately have to obliterate the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina without regard for civilian deaths, following Second World War precedents of the nuclear attack on Hiroshima or the allied firebombing of Dresden, according to documents obtained by Wired.com's Danger Room blog.
The Pentagon suspended the course in late April when a student objected to the material. The FBI also changed some agent training last year after discovering that it, too, was critical of Islam.
The teaching in the military course was counter to repeated assertions by U.S. officials over the past decade that the U.S. is at war against Islamic extremists, not the religion itself.
"They hate everything you stand for and will never coexist with you, unless you submit," the instructor, Army Lt. Col. Matthew Dooley, said in a presentation last July for the course at Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia. The college, for professional military members, teaches midlevel officers and government civilians on subjects related to planning and executing war.
Dooley also presumed, for the purposes of his theoretical war plan, that the Geneva Conventions that set standards of armed conflict are "no longer relevant."
He adds: "This would leave open the option once again of taking war to a civilian population wherever necessary [the historical precedents of Dresden, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Nagasaki being applicable...]."
His war plan suggests possible outcomes such as "Saudi Arabia threatened with starvation ... Islam reduced to cult status" and the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia "destroyed."
The college did not respond to The Associated Press' requests for copies of the documents, but a Pentagon spokesman vouched for their authenticity. Dooley still works for the college, but is no longer teaching, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said.
Published: May 12, 2012 00:59 Updated: May 12, 2012 00:59
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has issued a royal decree relieving Sheikh Abdul Muhsin Al-Obaikan, adviser to the Royal Court, of his post.
Sheikh Al-Obaikan, a prominent Islamic scholar, was controversial for some of his religious edicts (fatwas), including the one about breastfeeding of foreign drivers by Saudi women. He also launched an outspoken attack on judges for handing out "excessive prison and lashing sentences."
Sheikh Al-Obaikan had earlier been stopped from presenting his daily morning radio show after King Abdullah restricted the issuance of fatwas to certain scholars.
Under a royal decree, only members of the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars can issue fatwas.
JEDDAH - Hundreds of Umrah pilgrims and vacationing passengers are stranded due to the cancellation of flights caused by a strike called by at least 250 of its pilots. The strike, which continued for a third day Thursday, has resulted in disruption of flights to three main Saudi destinations - Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam-from Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Kozhikode.
"I had a confirmed booking for my daughter for Air India's Thursday night flight for Hyderabad. On hearing of the strike and the likely cancellation of flights, I succeeded in a last-minute effort to get a new Business Class booking on Saudi Arabian Airlines, as they did not have a single Economy Class seat available," Abdul Aziz, an executive in a media company, told Saudi Gazette.
He said if he had not been alert, his daughter would have missed her examination in which she is due to appear Monday.
Most of the passengers confirmed on the flights of India's national carrier said in Jeddah that they were not informed about the disruption or cancellation. "We came to know about this only from the media and TV channels," said Muhammad Rizvi, a factory supervisor at the Jeddah Industrial City.
Rizvi and two of his friends were scheduled to depart early Friday morning on an Air India flight, but now they are looking for new dates as no airline has Economy Class seats avaialble.
Worst hit are the pilgrims who after performing Umrah have been left to fend for themselves. "Even the agency representative who organized our visit is nowhere to be seen," said one of the pilgrims at King Abdul Aziz International Airport. A visit to the airport showed pilgrims with confirmed bookings on Air India approaching airport officials to know their fate.
With Air India's Manager Pravin Mistry reportedly on leave, no other official was available to comment on the situation here. An executive at Air India's General Sales Agent Kanoo Travel, speaking on anonymity, confirmed that Air India's flights to and from Jeddah have been disrupted for the past three days. "The carrier is, however, making efforts to fly some flights to Saudi Arabia and elsewhere with a skeleton staff. The flight to Kozhikode was canceled Tuesday and the incoming flight from Hyderabad did not arrive on that day. The flight bound for Kozhikode on Wednesday night from Jeddah has been rescheduled for departure at 12 noon Friday."
He added that the carrier was willing to endorse confirmed bookings on other carriers. "What's the use of endorsements if seats are not available on other airlines," another travel agent said. "The pressure is obviously on Saudia, whose flights are already overbooked," he added.
According to Air India, it has temporarily suspended bookings for mostly Westbound flights from Delhi and Mumbai. The debt-ridden carrier is also contacting companies to lease planes to deal with the situation.
At the moment, Air India is using 110 executive Air India pilots to fly as many flights as possible. Some 48 Air India flights have been cancelled due to the strike.
Air India normally operates about 50 international flights everyday.
The Delhi High Court Wednesday declared the strike illegal. But despite this, the pilots remain defiant. The management is of the view that the matter is now between the court and pilots.
India's Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh reiterated that the government is open to discussions to sort out the matter. He, however, insisted that he expects the pilots to follow the High Court order and return to work first.
"Let us hope that pilots will follow High Court order. Everything is negotiable and we can talk. We have been saying this from day one. First let them make sure that Air India doesn't lose credibility. Let them go back to work. Just imagine that in this high intensity operation, they are calling sick...these are total lies," the minister said.
Tuesday 15 May 2012
.The King Abdullah development project will make Makkah the first smart city in the Kingdom, Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled said yesterday.
Addressing a forum to discuss smart city applications in the Makkah province, the governor said: "There is no excuse for not making our cities smart."
He said there is a major project to revise plans for the cities of Makkah, Jeddah and Taif. "We should be pioneers in making our cities smart."
The function was attended by Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Majed and Makkah Deputy Gov. Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Khodairy.
"We have all the factors to make this project successful. We have a great leadership that is ready to take initiatives. We have peace and security and we have enough funds," he pointed out.
"We need the will and determination to take decisions," the governor said. He underscored the security and stability prevailing in the Kingdom, adding that it offers a conducive atmosphere for development projects.
Prince Khaled said the smart city project was part of the Kingdom's efforts to improve services to pilgrims who come for Haj and Umrah.
"We want to carry out Haj and Umrah services in the best manner, in line with international standards," the governor said. "We have to make pilgrims happy by extending the best possible services."
He said the two-year strategic development plan for the Makkah province was prepared with the participation of intellectuals and businessmen and women.
"The plan centers on the Holy Kaaba because it was the reason for the presence of people in this part of the world," he pointed out.
He denounced suggestions that Muslims are a third-world community. "We are a progressive society. Our religion Islam calls for progress. We'll not accept less than top position and there is nothing impossible," the governor said.
Prince Khaled referred to a report published by US Today that classified the Haj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah as one of the 10 best terminals in the world.
Speaking at the function, Al-Khodairy said the forum was organized to mobilize good ideas and thoughts for implementing the smart city project. "Officials and experts have been invited to take part in this discussion," he pointed out.
JEDDAH - Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah region, said the King Abdullah Construction Project for Makkah and the holy sites aims to turn Makkah into the Kingdom's first smart city.
Addressing the Smart Cities Seminar here Monday evening, Prince Khaled said there was nothing to prevent Makkah from being transformed into a smart city. "We have new design plans for Makkah, Jeddah and Taif. It's our opportunity to take the initiative now. All we need is good management and a strong will to start the project," he said.
This is the best time to implement the smart city project and the opportunity should be grabbed with both hands, the Emir said, emphasizing that the project also aims to provide smart services to pilgrims.
Modern mechanisms, he hoped, will be employed to facilitate the movement of pilgrims from the point of their departure at home until their arrival at the holy sites.
Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Khudairi, Undersecretary of Makkah Emirate, said the seminar, which was organized at the behest of Prince Khaled and to which different sectors of society were invited, sought to come up with the best ideas and visions for the future work plan.
Three presentations were made about smart cities and how they are built and the challenges associated with adapting to modern technology. Smart cities can solve many chronic problems, such as traffic jams, pollution and energy-related problems. They also allow individuals easy access to government and health services. The presentations focused on the most modern technologies employed by smart cities with a view to providing pilgrims, Umrah performers and visitors with the best possible services.
Indian Pilgrims reported killed in Saudi Arabia bus accident
May 14, 2012
Jeddah (SAUDI ARABIA): Six Pilgrims were reportedly killed and 40 wounded in a traffic accident 200km off Medina. The accident happened when a Mecca-bound Saudi public transportation bus carrying Pilgrims of different nationalities collided with a truck going in the same direction. According to initial reports, Indians are believed to be among the casualities.
Civil defence and Red Crescent rescue teams rushed to the site and the bodies were taken out cutting the body of the bus. Apart from Indians, Pakistanis and Egyptians were among the bus passengers.
Dubai: Saudi Arabia has banned all government and private agencies from using the Gregorian dates in official dealings.
The use of the English language to answer calls or communicate, mainly in companies and hotels, has also been banned, a local daily said. All ministries and agencies have to use the Hijri dates (Islamic calendar) and the Arabic language, the interior ministry said.
The ministry attributed its decision to preserving the Islamic calendar and the Arabic language, Arabic daily Al Watan reported.
In the statement to the ministries and establishments, the ministry said that it noted that some government entities were using Gregorian dates "unnecessarily", in a violation of high orders and instructions.
Credit for biggest expansion of Haram goes to the king (According to article)
BY: Jeddah: Badr Al-Qahtani
Wednesday 16 May 2012
The biggest expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah was carried out during the reign of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
In 2011, the Haram’s capacity was raised to accommodate 1.6 million worshippers, one-and-half times more than all the expansions put together in the mosque’s history. This latest expansion cost SR 80 billion and is part of Makkah’s many development projects, including work on the mosque’s central zone and surrounding areas.
Speaking on the seventh anniversary of King Abdullah’s accession to throne, Dr. Muhammad Bin Nasser, vice president of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs, said developing the mosque’s area is an ongoing project.
“Every year the Grand Mosque witnesses more development in the services provided to visitors. This year, the King Abdullah Expansion Project is being carried out. It includes the latest and most sophisticated electrical and mechanical systems. The expansion is linked to the first Saudi expansion and to the masaa (running area between Safaa and Marwaa) via several bridges. A new system of elevators and escalators is being installed,” he said.
He said there will be an integrated services station that is being constructed on an area of 75,000 square meters that will include modern, eco-friendly air conditioning systems, water reservoirs, waste dumping systems and others.
The project to expand the tawaf area is one of the major projects and will result in the capacity being increased to accommodate 130,000 Tawaf performers per hour across all floors instead of the current capacity of 52,000.
The project will include a floor (the first one) allocated to those with special needs and will be connected to elevators and escalators. The special needs floor will also be connected to the masaa, he added.
Secretary-General of the Madinah Development Board Muhammad Al-Ali said the new expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque that will be executed as part of the city’s comprehensive development plan will increase the mosque’s capacity to accommodate 320,000 worshippers, he said last year at the Madinah Research Forum.
The plan includes rehabilitating Wadi Alaqiq (Alaqiq valley), the biggest valley in Madinah, he added.
He said that Quba Mosque area is also included as it will be developed on an area of 1.5 million square meters as well as the city’s meeqat point (where pilgrims don the ihram prior to performing Haj or Umrah), whose development contracts have been awarded to contractors.
Head of the Jeddah’s municipal council Dr. Ayman Saleh Fadil said the governorate has witnessed a huge developmental leap in all fields during the reign of King Abdullah.
“Jeddah’s people and visitors will benefit from the fast development of services, health and education facilities that have been carried out as per the municipality’s sustainable plans and programs monitored by Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal and Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Majed,” he said.
“The king’s development efforts reached countries all over the world. He served the Kingdom and all Muslims of the world, and his efforts to spread moderation and tolerance are appreciated and commended by everybody,” he said.
“The idea of municipal councils in the country began as he ascended the throne in 2005.”
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
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