Call for edict on haj pilgrimage

JAKARTA (JP): Legislators called on the influential Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) yesterday to issue an edict restricting Moslems from going on repeat haj pilgrimages.

Slamet Effendy Yusuf of the Golkar faction and H.S. Djathi Koesoemo of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) made the suggestion during a hearing with Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher at the House of Representatives.

The legislators cited annual complaints by Indonesian Moslems who could not go on the haj pilgrimage to Mecca because the quota set by the Saudi Arabian government filled up too quickly, including with those who have gone before.

During the 1997 haj season in March, 195,000 Indonesians went on the pilgrimage, with 7 percent of them repeat pilgrims. Last year the figure was 5 percent.

As of yesterday afternoon, or the third day since registration opened on Monday, 163,225 people have registered for next year's haj. The haj fee is Rp 8,805,000 (US$3,201)

Indonesia's quota for next year's haj is still 200,000 pilgrims.

Slamet and Djathi urged the government to persuade MUI to issue the edict so that the opportunity to go could be distributed among first-timers.

"Priority should be given to those who are going for the first time," Djathi said.

Slamet acknowledged that some people may not respond well to the restriction effort as it concerned everyone's right to perform the religious rite.

"The ulemas of MUI should therefore first agree (to issue an edict) before a restriction is implemented in a government decree," he said, adding that repeat pilgrims should be allowed at an interval of at least seven years.

He argued that an edict should be more effective compared to earlier calls by the government on Moslems not to go on repeat haj pilgrimages.

"The government has for the past five years spoken against repeat haj, and yet the number keeps increasing," he said.

Minister Tarmizi agreed that MUI may need to issue the edict, but said the government would not regulate any restriction.

He promised to discuss the suggestion with the ulemas. (10)