DUSHANBE, September 11, 2009, Asia-Plus — The Ministry of Culture (MoC) on September 10 began receiving documents from Tajik Muslims wanting to perform the Hajj of this year.
Anvar Yusupov, a spokesman for a MoC, says Tajik Muslims having lodged applications for performing the Hajj may submit their documents and the Hajj payments domiciliary to local authorities until September 25. According to him, the ministry has reached an agreement with Tajik airlines on carrying Hajj pilgrims to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from Dushanbe and Khujand.
“This year, Tajik pilgrims will have to pay 3,342 U.S. dollars to take part in the Hajj, US$442 more than last year (last year, Tajik Hajj pilgrims paid 2,290 U.S. dollars each),” Yusupov said. According to him, the Hajj package payment includes air passenger fares, accommodations and services in Mecca and Medina. “Besides, this year’s Hajj package payment also includes the cost of the sacrificial animal (qurboni),” the spokesman said.
In the meantime, Abdughaffor Yusupov, the head of the MoC department on Hajj issues, says that this year, the Hajj will take place in November and the first group of Tajik Hajj pilgrims will be carried to Jeddah on November 6.
The Hajj pilgrimage quota for Tajikistan is the same as it was last year – 5,000 people.
We will recall that Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported on August 28 this year that the MoC has introduced a new system to regulate the number of potential pilgrims to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The changes were prompted by the growing number of applications from those intending to carry out the Hajj, or holy pilgrimage. Abdugaffor Yusupov was quoted as saying that from now on, every district in Tajikistan would have a special registration book, signed by the local governor and sealed to avoid potential fraud. All the locals intending to go to Mecca will register and be added to the applicants” list. They must then wait their turn to receive permission to take part in the pilgrimage. Yusupov noted that Turkey and Iran use similar systems, adding that the Hajj applicants might be asked to deposit up to 60 percent of the Hajj expenses beforehand.
