Moslems encouraged to go on the minor haj<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto has advised Moslems to
\nperform an umrah (mini haj) pilgrimage because the ceiling quota
\nfor Indonesian haj pilgrims is filled every year.<\/p>\n
Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher quoted the
\nPresident as saying yesterday that the number of Indonesian haj
\npilgrims this year has already reached 174,000.<\/p>\n
Registration is open until Sunday.<\/p>\n
Tarmizi believes the number will surpass 180,000,
\nbut the final figure will not be known before Jan. 31.<\/p>\n
Last year Indonesia sent 158,533 pilgrims to the Holy Land,
\nan increase of 29 percent from the previous year. The quota for
\nIndonesia set by the Saudi government is 160,000.<\/p>\n
The minister, quoting Soeharto, added that Moslems who have
\nalready made the haj pilgrimage may return to the Holy Land for
\numrah. And, for those who have not yet made the pilgrimage to
\nMecca, umrah provides valuable training.<\/p>\n
Tarmizi said his ministry had no data on the umrah
\npilgrimages, which are organized by authorized travel agencies or
\nIslamic study groups.<\/p>\n
\"But if seeing is believing,\" he said, \"there are more and
\nmore Indonesian umrah pilgrims around the Kaabah holy shrine in
\nMecca every month.\"<\/p>\n
He said that there was growing interest on the part of Moslems
\nto spend their holidays in the Holy Land, although not all of
\nthose concerned were wealthy.<\/p>\n
According the minister the increase in the number of haj
\npilgrims stems from improvements people's incomes, especially in
\nrural areas.<\/p>\n
Haj is compulsory for every Moslem who can afford to go to
\nMecca, once in a lifetime.<\/p>\n
Soeharto and members of his family made the haj pilgrimage in
\n1991. During that pilgrimage the President changed his name to
\nHaji Muhammad Soeharto.(tis)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/moslems-encouraged-to-go-on-the-minor-haj-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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