First-time pilgrims to get 'priority seating'<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
For the next haj season, due to fall at the beginning of 2005,
\nthe government will allocate places primarily for first-time
\npilgrims to cut down on the number of people who wish to go to
\nMecca, Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
Those who have already gone on a haj to the Holy Land and have
\nsigned up again will be placed on a waiting list, Minister of
\nReligious Affairs M. Maftuh Basyuni said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"We will accommodate those who want to repeat the pilgrimage
\nonly if there is space left over from the quota, after all first-
\ntimers have been given places,\" Maftuh said after a meeting with
\nPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.<\/p>\n
The Saudi Arabian government has long provided a flat quota
\nfor members of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC),
\naccommodating 10 percent of the Muslim population from each
\nnation.<\/p>\n
During the last haj season early this year, 205,000
\nIndonesians performed the pilgrimage. The holy ritual ended with
\na mass stampede, in which the government confirmed that 57
\nIndonesian pilgrims were killed.<\/p>\n
The stampede sparked controversy over poor management of the
\npilgrimage on the government's part, prompting a demand from the
\nHouse of Representatives for the establishment of an independent
\nbody to put an end to decades of the government's monopolizing
\nthe lucrative haj business.<\/p>\n
The quota for Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim
\ncountry at 220 million, is hardly able to accommodate the demand
\nas seen in the long waiting list.<\/p>\n
During the administration of Megawati Soekarnoputri, the
\ngovernment considered a regulation to limit the haj pilgrimage to
\nonce every five years for each Muslim.<\/p>\n
The next haj season peaks in mid-January, with the first group
\nof pilgrims slated to depart on Dec. 19.<\/p>\n
Maftuh also said that, starting with the next haj, the
\nministry would reduce the number of officials arranging the
\npilgrimage and would not allow state guests from various
\ninstitutions in the country to make the trip for free.<\/p>\n
\"From the next season on, the religious affairs minister and
\nother high-ranking ministerial officials will not join the
\npilgrimage. We will also slash the number of officials to about
\n200,\" Maftuh said.<\/p>\n
Previously, 3,000 state officials and field officials were
\naccommodated in the pilgrimage.<\/p>\n
\"The efficiency measure will enable us to save enough funds so
\nthat we can provide meals for all pilgrims for nine days there,\"
\nthe minister said.<\/p>\n
During the meeting, Susilo also agreed to attend and deliver a
\nspeech during the Oct. 30 commemoration of Nuzulul Qur'an, or
\nKoranic Revelation, at the Istiqlal Grand Mosque, Central
\nJakarta.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/first-time-pilgrims-to-get-priority-seating-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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