Soeharto performs 'umrah'

Soeharto performs 'umrah'

MECCA (JP): President Soeharto performed an umrah (minor haj) pilgrimage at the Grand Mosque here on Monday evening, after completing a two-week working trip which took him and his entourage to Colombia, the United States and Suriname.

Soeharto started his performance of the religious duty by wearing two pieces of white cloth in Jeddah before leaving for Mecca, where he was required to walk around the holy shrine of Kaabah seven times.

Afterwards Soeharto and his party performed the ritual of Sa'y (slow running between the As-Safa and Al-Marwah hills seven times), within the grounds of the mosque. The total distance of covered was about three-and-a-half kilometers.

Soeharto performed the Islamic duty unassisted, but First Lady Tien Soeharto was pushed in a wheel-chair by her son Bambang Trihatmodjo.

Son Bambang, daughters Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana and Siti Hediyanti Prabowo, son-in-law Indra Rukmana and several grand children flew from Jakarta to accompany the president in the rituals.

Cabinet members included in Soeharto's entourage were Foreign Minister Ali Alatas, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono and Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher. Tarmizi joined the president after the latter arrived in Jeddah on Monday.

Mecca Deputy Governor Su'ud Abdul Muhsin, who welcomed Soeharto to the city, opened the door of the Kaabah for the Indonesian President and his entourage to pray inside the structure, which is always covered with a black cloth.

This is for the third time Soeharto has entered the shrine, which Moslems revere as the House of God. The last time he did it was when he performed his haj pilgrimage in 1991.

At least five times each day Moslems in every part of the globe face towards the Kaabah when they pray.

Soeharto and his entourage, who left Jeddah yesterday afternoon, are expected to back home this morning. (riz)