Govt considers permanent lodgings in Saudi Arabia

Govt considers permanent lodgings in Saudi Arabia

JAKARTA (JP): The government will explore the possibility of
providing Indonesian haj pilgrims with permanent lodgings in
Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia, Minister of Religious Affairs
Quraish Shihab said yesterday.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with President Soeharto at
his private residence on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta, Quraish
said the plan was intended to provide pilgrims with less
expensive, more comfortable accommodation.

"Of course, we must take into account all Saudi Arabia's
prevailing laws," the minister said.

Quraish did not say whether Indonesia intended to buy houses
in Saudi Arabia, or lease them on long-term contracts.

Brunei Darussalam already has permanent lodgings for its haj
pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. However, compared to Indonesia, which
sends an average of 200,000 pilgrims each year, the number of
Bruneian pilgrims was relatively small, he said.

The religious affairs ministry currently leases housing for
pilgrims in Mecca and Medina on a short-term basis. The minister
said that houses near Masjidil Haram were more expensive than
accommodation far from the mosque.

Islam states that every able-bodied person should perform the
haj once in their lifetime. Pilgrims stay in the Holy Land for 40
days, of which 10 days are spent in Mecca and Medina before and
after the rituals.

When asked about luxury haj operators who left their customers
stranded in Saudi Arabia this year, the minister said that he
would not hesitate to revoke their permits if they were proved to
have been negligent.

"We are still studying the case because this is the first
incident of its type that we have faced," Quraish said.

Some operators, including the well-known Tiga Utama,
reportedly failed to provide customers with return tickets,
despite receiving the bookings well in advance of when the
pilgrims were due to travel.

The operators run luxury tours for pilgrims which include
star-rated hotels and a shorter time spent in the Holy Land.

"The operators are responsible for returning their clients to
Indonesia. The Ministry of Religious Affairs takes no
responsibility for the case," Quraish said.

The price of a regular haj this year was Rp 8.8 million
(US$1,100).

The fee is expected to almost double next year because of the
weakness of the rupiah against the U.S. dollar, but Quraish said
the government would not subsidize the pilgrimage since only
those with the financial means are obliged to perform the rite,
according to Islamic teachings.

The minister also spoke of the possibility of introducing a
fatwa (religious decree) allowing only physically fit people to
undertake the arduous haj.

The move has been under consideration since earlier this month
because of the usually high number of pilgrims who died in the
Holy Land, mainly as a result of cardiovascular problems and old
age.

This year 201,961 Indonesians went on the haj, of whom 673
died. (prb)