{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1332624,
        "msgid": "first-batch-of-haj-pilgrims-leave-for-mecca-1447893297",
        "date": "2003-12-31 00:00:00",
        "title": "First batch of haj pilgrims leave for Mecca",
        "author": null,
        "source": "JP",
        "tags": null,
        "topic": null,
        "summary": "First batch of haj pilgrims leave for Mecca The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The first batch of Indonesian haj pilgrims departed from nine embarkation points across the country for Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, marking the start of the annual ritual that climaxes on the Islamic Day of Sacrifice, which falls next year on Feb. 1.",
        "content": "<p>First batch of haj pilgrims leave for Mecca<\/p>\n<p>The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n<p>The first batch of Indonesian haj pilgrims departed from nine<br>\nembarkation points across the country for Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on<br>\nTuesday, marking the start of the annual ritual that climaxes on<br>\nthe Islamic Day of Sacrifice, which falls next year on Feb. 1.<\/p>\n<p>A total of 3,970 people left the country for the pilgrimage on<br>\nTuesday, 455 of whom were seen off by Minister of Religious<br>\nAffairs Said Agil Al-Munawar at the Soekarno-Hatta International<br>\nAirport (photo above).<\/p>\n<p>Apart from Jakarta, embarkation points for the pilgrims<br>\ninclude Bandung (West Java), Surakarta (Central Java), Surabaya<br>\n(East Java), Medan (North Sumatra) and Makassar (South Sulawesi).<\/p>\n<p>The first batch of pilgrims that departed from Polonia<br>\nAirport, Medan, comprised 455 people, while in Surabaya the first<br>\ngroup consisted of 450 pilgrims.<\/p>\n<p>A total of about 205,000 people are registered as haj pilgrims<br>\nfor the 2004 haj season. The last batch will leave for Mecca on<br>\nJan. 26.<\/p>\n<p>This haj season has been marred by the last-minute<br>\npostponement of the pilgrimage for 30,000 people, although they<br>\nhad already paid the fees. House legislators blamed the<br>\ngovernment for speculating on the haj quota by accepting extra<br>\npilgrims prior to receiving approval from the Saudi government.<\/p>\n<p>Demands mounted afterwards for resignation of the religious<br>\naffairs minister and an end to the government monopoly in<br>\nmanagement of the haj pilgrimage.<\/p>\n<p>Riyadh did not grant Jakarta's request for additional seats,<br>\nciting the consensus within the Organization of the Islamic<br>\nConference that each member state be allocated one seat for every<br>\n1,000 Muslims in its population.<\/p>\n<p>For this haj season, the Indonesian government has chartered<br>\nplanes from national flag-carrier Garuda Indonesia and from Saudi<br>\nArabian Airlines to carry the pilgrims to and from Mecca.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/first-batch-of-haj-pilgrims-leave-for-mecca-1447893297",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}