Tarmizi off to Riyadh for higher haj quota allocation
Tarmizi off to Riyadh for higher haj quota allocation
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher left for Saudi Arabia yesterday to seek a 40,000 increase in the quota allocation for Indonesian haj pilgrims.
Speaking at the Soekarno-Hatta airport before boarding his flight, Tarmizi promised he would do his utmost to convince the Saudi authorities to grant the quota increase.
At stake is some 40,000 of the 230,000 people who have registered and paid for the privilege to take part in this year's holy pilgrimage to Mecca. The Saudi government has limited Indonesian pilgrims to only 192,000.
"We will try to convince the Saudi government to accept the thousands of people now on the waiting list," Tarmizi was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying. "However, I'm not going to engage in wishful thinking, so that the prospective pilgrims won't have any false hopes," he added.
Tarmizi said some 240,000 people originally registered for the haj pilgrimage this year. Some 10,000 subsequently backed down amidst reports that they would be put on the waiting list.
"I appreciate the decision of the ten thousands who canceled their plans to go on pilgrimage this year," Tarmizi said. "I'm sure they understand the circumstances."
"Whether Saudi Arabia will honor our request depends on a lot of factors, including how many pilgrims from all over the world will go to the Holy Land, and how many other countries such as Malaysia and Oman have their quotas raised," he said.
Tarmizi acknowledged that there is a possibility that his mission could fail, and asked prospective pilgrims to "be patient..and pray".
"Even if the Saudi government decides to raise the quota, in reverence to Indonesia's 50th independence anniversary, we would still have to deal with a host of other problems," he said.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs, which coordinates the haj arrangement, will have to lease additional planes, and arrange for more accommodation and other facilities, he said.
Tarmizi, who is accompanied by Director General of Haj Affairs Amidhan in the mission, will be in Saudi Arabia until next Wednesday.
Deputy chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas Ali Yafie and chairman of the House of Representatives' Commission IX, which oversees religious affairs, Ismael Hassan were both at the airport yesterday to see off the delegation.
Yafie and Ismael said that to ease the problem of the large number of people wishing to join the pilgrimage, priority should be given to people who haven't been yet. Those who have made the journey before should give way, they said.
They also urged Indonesian Moslems to pray for Tarmizi's mission.
"We know prayers are answered promptly during this holy fasting month," Yafie said. "Let's pray that the government's effort will achieve results."
He supported Tarmizi's cautiousness when addressing the issue of the quota for pilgrims. "Leaders should never give empty promises ... It's better to prepare people for the worst," he said.
"Even if the minister fails this time, we should be patient," Ismael said. "The House of Representatives will remind the government to give those on the waiting list top priority for the next haj season." (swe)