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October 24 2011
South African Hajj pilgrims might well be up in arms about the illegal sale of visas and the alleged corruption of certain tour operators, but historically, Hajj rip-offs are as old as the sacred Abrahamic ritual.
Wherever people have journeyed to Mecca, carrying their precious silver, gold or cash, there have been predators waiting in the shadows. To visit Mecca during the lunar month of Dhul Hijjah is only incumbent on a Muslim once in a lifetime, but its hardships are legend.
Chronicles by mediaeval authors such as Nasir Khusrow, Ibn Battuta and Ibn Jubair talk of the dangers of Hajj travel, and relate heart-rending stories of people robbed of their belongings and money en-route.
Hardly a century ago, the hajji could not enjoy the guarantee of a safe return home. For most pilgrims, the Hajj would take several months of arduous travel by sea and land.
And if concerns about physical safety weren’t enough (Ibn Sa’ud chased away highway robbers on the Jeddah-Mecca road as recently as the 1920s) there would be the challenges of malaria, bubonic plague, yellow fever, TB and cholera.
Air travel, inoculation and air-conditioned buses have certainly reduced the discomfort of the Hajj. But with it have come different challenges. Safety, comfort and the affordability of air travel have meant more people can visit Mecca.
This is borne out by figures released by the Saudi Press Agency. In 1950, 100 000 pilgrims gathered on the plains of Arafat, the locus of the Hajj. By 1983 this number had increased to one million pilgrims.
In 1988 this led the Organisation of Islamic Countries (the OIC) to pass a resolution on Hajj quotas to ensure Saudi infrastructure could cope. This agreement, which allows a country to send only one pilgrim for each 100 000 persons, restricts the total Hajj quota today to about 2.5 million – which is its limit.
Indonesia, the biggest Muslim country on earth, has a quota of 221 000. For decades South Africa, with a Muslim minority population, existed under the Hajj radar. A special Saudi dispensation to South African Muslims during apartheid was that they could get visas on entry to the country. This meant the South African Hajj was not regulated, and each year an average 8 000 South Africans would perform its rites. By the early 1990s our Hajj industry had grown to be worth more than R220 million annually.
In 1994 with diplomatic accord after apartheid, the South African Hajj landscape began to change. The South African Hajj and Umrah Council was established to liaise with the Hajj authorities.
Formed with the best of intentions by a former ANC parliamentarian, the council was met with scepticism by the community, especially the Hajj agents who saw their turf threatened. Many slated the council as being incompetent.
Hajj numbers, however, stayed up. It was only in 2004 that South Africa was obliged to accept a quota, 3 500 pilgrims. In addition to these new restrictions, travel agents had to lodge sizeable deposits in Saudi Arabia, and abide by a code of conduct to be accredited.
Hajj totals were cut by half, and the council instituted an online application system designed at grading pilgrims according to first-time needs. The system was swamped and just over 10 000 applied for Hajj. Glitches in the system caused suspicion, allegations of nepotism and widespread dissatisfaction.
This led to the formation of Hajj Watch, which says the council is illegally constituted and should be disbanded.
With demand now outstripping supply by over 50 percent, smaller Hajj agents struggled to meet their commitments. The multimillion-rand industry went into a tailspin. The attrition rate amongst Hajj operators would be high. Many went out of business or had to merge with bigger companies to survive.
For pilgrims all was not entirely lost, as the Hajj Ministry would usually grant South Africans a further 1 500 visas just before the Hajj. This would bring the total up to 5 000.
The additional visas, I was informed by Saudi authorities, came from poor sub-Saharan countries unable to fill their quotas.
But this year many prospective South African pilgrims were shocked. The Hajj Ministry – also having to deal with the logistics of a Mecca under reconstruction – had strictly applied OIC diktats.
The OIC and the Saudis estimate there are 2.5 million Muslims here, so the 2011 Hajj quota was 2 500, the lowest ever. The additional quota of 500 was also the lowest ever and it left Sahuc facing an angry constituency, as it only satisfied 10 percent of those in the Hajj queue.
One can imagine the fury of those in line when news broke that 11 Hajj operators had been fingered in a “highest bidder gets served” visa scandal. Hajj visas are issued free by the Saudi embassies. Selling them is illegal. Visa corruption is the scourge of many Hajj missions.
Never more urgent has the call been for agencies such as the Public Protector to intervene in the Hajj. A sacred South African Muslim institution is not only riven with widespread dissatisfaction, but alleged malpractice.
http://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/opini...ents-1.1162856
25 Octobre 2011
RIYADH – A new service called “Pilgrim’s Electronic Helper” will be available on the first day of Haj to provide information on the holy journey, according to Dr. Abdullah Al-Jasir, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information.
The new service utilizes modern media technology and social networking sites, he pointed out. Pilgrims’ questions will be answered and the ministry will coordinate with other government authorities to send the necessary instructions and warnings to pilgrims.
Pilgrims can connect to the ministry through the website www.info.gov.sa/i_haj and email [email protected], in addition to Facebook and Twitter.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20111025111137
24th October 2011 - Dhu-AlQa'dah 26, 1432
Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Makkah Region and Chairman of Hajj Central Committee, will inspect on Saturday vital projects in the Holy Sites including the completion of the project of Masha'er Train, whose costs amounted to more than SR 6.5 billion, and the project of Jamarat Facilities at a cost of more than SR 4.2 billion in addition to many projects implemented in the Holy Sites to provide the best services to pilgrims to perform their rituals easily and comfortably.
At the end of the tour, the Prince will chair a meeting of the Committee to complete the discussion of the plans of bodies participating in this year's Hajj season. SPA
http://www.hajinformation.com/display_news.php?id=2761
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
Please wait...
