DUSHANBE, November 9, 2009, Asia-Plus — The second group of Tajik Muslim pilgrims, numbering 360 people, will fly to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia today evening, according to the directorate for religious affairs (DRA) within the Ministry of Culture (MoC).
Representatives from the Shuroi Ulamo (a group of scholars and imams that provides interpretations of religious practice) and medical workers are accompanying this group. In all, 10 physicians will accompany Tajik Hajjis on their holy journey to Mecca, the source at a DRA said.
We will recall that the first 360 Tajik Hajjis flew to Saudi Arabia on November 7.
“This year, Tajik national air carrier, Tajik Air, is carrying Tajik Hajjis to Saudi Arabia, using Lockheed-1011 to operate fights to Jeddah,” Ms, Nazira Davlatova, a spokeswoman for Tajik Air, said.
According to WikipediA, the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, commonly referred to as just L-1011 or TriStar, is a medium-to-long range, three-engine, widebody passenger jet airliner. It was the third widebody airliner to enter commercial operations, following the Boeing 747 and McDonnell Douglas DC-10. Between 1968 and 1984, Lockheed manufactured a total of 250 TriStars. After production ended, Lockheed withdrew from the commercial aircraft business due to its below-target sales.
In all, some 15 flights will be operated from Dushanbe and Khujand to carry 5,200 Tajik Muslim pilgrims to Jeddah until November 20, the DRA source said.
The Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca. It is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world.
It is the fifth pillar of Islam, an obligation that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so. It is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to Allah.
The pilgrimage occurs from the 10th to the 15th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. Because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, eleven days shorter than the Gregorian calendar used in the Western world, the Gregorian date of the Hajj is eleven days earlier from year to year. This year, the pilgrimage takes place from November 25 to November 30.
