Last group of haj pilgrims depart

Last group of haj pilgrims depart

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's last group of haj pilgrims departed
for Saudi Arabia yesterday, bringing to a close the first stage
of the country's massive airlift of 201,961 people which began
March 6.

The last flight of haj pilgrims departed from Polonia Airport
in Medan, North Sumatra, and consisted of 93 pilgrims from Medan
and 96 from Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, Antara said.

Minister of Religious Affairs Quraish Shihab flew out of Halim
Perdanakusuma Airport here Tuesday, along with the last group of
pilgrims from Jakarta.

Antara said Quraish would wait for and accompany Vice
President B.J. Habibie, who reportedly planned to go on haj after
attending the second Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in London from
April 2 to April 4.

Quraish is this year's amirulhaj, or leader of Indonesian
pilgrims. He is expected to hold dialogs with the Saudi Arabian
government on ways to improve pilgrimage operations.

Antara reported that two major Moslem organizations in
Indonesia -- Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah -- have determined
that Idul Adha or Sacrifice Day, which marks the peak of the haj
pilgrimage, falls on April 7. This will be a public holiday.

Indonesia will start airlifting its pilgrims home several days
after Idul Adha, an operation which will last through May 21.

Antara also reported from New York yesterday that the United
Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution Tuesday making Idul
Adha a mandatory holiday for its employees despite protests by
several countries that the UN already had enough holidays.

With Idul Adha as a holiday, UN workers will have 10 official
holidays a year. Next week is also holy week for Christians, with
Good Friday recognized as a holiday.

Before Tuesday's adoption of a 10th holiday, UN employees had
days off for Christmas, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Idul Fitri
and America's Presidents' Day, Independence Day, Labor Day
Memorial Day and Thanksgiving.

The resolution on Idul Adha was sponsored by the Group of 77
and China. The Group of 77 is composed of more than 120
countries, a majority of the UN General Assembly's 185 members.
It specified that no UN meetings could be held during Idul Adha.

During preliminary discussions on the latest holiday, scores
of countries protested the proposal. But they were overcome by
the Group of 77.

On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador Bill Richardson issued a statement
saying that another holiday would send a wrong signal when the UN
needed efficiency and cost effective measures.

Richardson claimed that UN employees already had 50 holidays,
observed in different parts of the world where UN employees are
posted.

"The perception of such a move (holiday) is contrary to
reform" in the UN organization, Richardson said.