Pilgrims' problems<\/p>\n
The sharp increase in the number of haj pilgrims from 165,000
\nlast year to 231,000 this year should have been ample warning
\nthat serious problems could loom ahead for the government's
\nprogram for sending them to the Holy Land.<\/p>\n
Transporting such a great number of people within a short
\nperiod is not an easy job. It involves registration in their
\nrespective provinces, visa arrangements through the Saudi Arabian
\nembassy in Jakarta and arrangements for their departure on Garuda
\nairliners from designated embarkation airports. This is not to
\nmention providing satisfactory accommodations in Saudi Arabia and
\ntransportation from one ritual site to another while there.<\/p>\n
One week after this year's haj operation started last Monday,
\nmany complaints have already been registered. The processing of
\ntravel documents seems to have been so chaotic that 2,000
\nprospective pilgrims had their departures postponed. This is
\nquite serious because the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which is
\nresponsible for all haj operation in Indonesia, will have to
\ncharter more flights.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Consumers Organization has lashed out at the
\nministry for the serious defects in the haj operation, while
\nMuhammadiyah, the country's largest socio-educational
\norganization, has accused officials and haj organizers of
\nexploiting the pilgrims, who mostly consist of people with modest
\nincomes who paid Rp 7 million (US$3,100) to take the trip to
\nfulfill the sixth basic tenet of Islam.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta administration, which determines the order of the
\ndeparture of the pilgrims not only from the capital city, but
\nalso from as far away as Central Java, West Java, and Lampung,
\nhas had to share the blame for the chaos, although the root of
\nsome problems can be found in the lack of discipline among the
\npilgrims themselves.<\/p>\n
In an effort to make the trip more comfortable, many of them
\nhave formed small groups, like neighborhood or study clubs. The
\ntrouble comes when these people refuse to leave for the Holy
\nLand, if any of the group have not obtained a visa, although the
\nauthorities have booked those whose travel documents were
\ncompleted for a certain flight.<\/p>\n
The main problem with the haj business is the tremendous
\nincrease in the number of pilgrims from year to year. This year's
\nnumber represents a 35 percent jump from last year, which was a
\n22 percent increase from the previous year. The trend should make
\nus foresee that the coming years will bring more and more
\nproblems for this nation, the world's largest Moslem country.<\/p>\n
The nation's economic success story and the impressive trend
\ntoward stricter adherence to religion among the people --
\nespecially the middle class -- will further increase the number
\nof haj pilgrims. Judging from the recent trend, it does not seem
\nexcessive to predict that within the next few years Indonesia may
\nexpect 500,000 pilgrims every year.<\/p>\n
This will be a great challenge for the nation, which beginning
\nthis year is facing a quota imposed by the Saudi government of
\none pilgrim per 1,000 people in the population.<\/p>\n
Clearly, now is the time for the government to take serious
\nsteps toward working out the kinks in its haj pilgrimage system.<\/p>\n
The pilgrimage, which has a great deal of significance for
\nevery Moslem, has been a consideration among the faithful here
\nsince the introduction of Islam into this part of the hemisphere
\nby Middle Eastern traders in the 12th century. As time has
\npassed, more and more people have undertaken that journey. It is
\nhigh time now for the government to think about the possibility
\nof operating the service more professionally and openly, with
\nbetter trained officials. And if possible, the government should
\nhave state-owned companies and selected private travel agencies
\nto run the service on a non-profit basis.<\/p>\n
However, first of all, the government should prepare a bill on
\nthe haj pilgrimage to give the whole process a more solid legal
\nbasis and to replace the current presidential decree, which
\nregulates matters relating to the pilgrimage.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pilgrims-problems-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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