DUSHANBE, June 21, 2013, Asia-Plus – Saudi Arabia has slashed the number of Hajj pilgrims, including from Tajikistan, by 20 percent, citing massive ongoing construction work aimed at expanding grand Mecca mosque as a reason behind the decision.
According to some media sources, many countries like Egypt have decided to send their envoys to Saudi Arabia to request Riyadh to reconsider the decision.
India’s
Post
quoted Saudi Minister of Hajj Bandar bin Mohammed Hajjar as saying on June 16 that “The decision to reduce the numbers of pilgrims at home by 50 percent and abroad by 20 percent is exceptional and temporary until the completion of the expansionist projects at the Holy Sites.”
“An official letter on the Hajj quota reduction has come to President’s Executive Office,” Mavlon Mukhtorov, the deputy head of the Committee on religious Affairs (CRA) under the Government of Tajikistan, told Asia-Plus in an interview. Therefore, the government will consider this issue, he added.
As per the Hajj agreement with Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan’s quota for Hajj-2013 had to be 6,000. The decision to slash the quota would reduce the number of Tajik pilgrims by 20 percent to 4,800.
“Currently, the government is considering this issue, and therefore, we still can’t say exactly how pilgrims will be selected from the number of persons we have determined,” said Mukhtorov. “To-date, we have collected documents of 6,000 people.”
We will recall that the first group of Tajik Hajj pilgrims is expected to fly to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on September 20. Tajik national air carrier, Tajik Air, and Tajik private air company, Somon Air, will carry Tajik Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
According to information posted on CRA’s website, the cost of a round-trip ticket for Dushanbe-Jeddah-Dushanbe has increased by 241.00 somoni.
Besides, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj has reportedly raised the cost one Hajj seat by 240.00 somoni.
This year, Tajik pilgrims will have to pay 17,625 somoni (equivalent to more than 3,710 USD). This amount reportedly includes travel expenses, board and lodging, medical service, special clothing with the national flag and purchase of animal for sacrificing during the Hajj.
Last year, the Hajj cost was 17,127.70 (equivalent to 3,546 U.S. dollars) and in 2011, the Hajj cost was 3,448 U.S. dollars.
Hajj expenses will be paid in dollars. Under an agreement concluded with the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT) and Orienbonk, Hajj pilgrims will purchase dollars from these bans at the rate of 1:4.83.
In 2010, the Committee on Religious Affairs introduced age restrictions on those who want to perform the Hajj. Only citizens aged 18 to 80 are able to perform the Hajj.
The Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is currently the largest annual pilgrimage in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to God. The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and last month of the Islamic calendar. Because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, eleven days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, the Gregorian date of the Hajj changes from year to year.
