Haj pilgrims due to arrive home today

JAKARTA (JP): The first batch of the nearly 200,000 Indonesians who went on the haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia are due to arrive at six different airports today.

Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher made a last minute inspection yesterday at the Pondok Gede Haj Dormitory in Jakarta, and flew to Surabaya and Ujungpandang on a similar mission.

His office, which coordinates the haj pilgrimage, will not hold official welcoming ceremonies for the first returnees.

"These ceremonies are a waste of time, energy and money," Tarmizi said during the inspection at Pondok Gede.

"Pilgrims are already tired after the rituals in the Holy Land. More ceremonies await them when they reach their hometowns. Let's not burden them with more official functions," he said.

The only exception is for the first flight arriving at Adisumarmo Airport in Surakarta, Central Java, he said.

An official thanksgiving ceremony is planned at Adisumarmo because this is the first time the city has been used as an embarkation and disembarkation point for haj pilgrims.

Seven wide-bodied jets carrying pilgrims will land at the Halim Perdana Kusuma airport in Jakarta, four in Juanda, Surabaya, one at Polonia airport in Medan, three at Adisumarmo, three at Hasanuddin airport in Ujungpandang, and two at Sepinggan airport in Balikpapan.

Not every Indonesian pilgrim survived the grueling rituals. The Ministry of Religious Affairs said 342 people have died, mostly because of old age and respiratory problems. The number is expected to grow by the time the last flight arrives on May 19.

Last year, 570 out of 200,000 Indonesian pilgrims died during the pilgrimage.

Officials hope the return of the pilgrims will be as orderly as their departure last month.

"If their departures were smooth, so then should their return and that they will all carry the title of haji mabrur (haj that is blessed by God)," Tarmizi said. (11)