The Haj and Ministry of Religious Affairs

The Haj and Ministry of Religious Affairs

Some 30,000 would-be Indonesian haj pilgrims in 2004 will fail
to depart for the holy land following the Saudi Arabian
government's rejection of Indonesia's request for an additional
quota allocation.

We understand how disappointed they are because to Indonesian
Muslims the haj is everything and is a source of social pride.

We are fed up of hearing about various problems related to haj
pilgrimages, ranging from late departures to the holy land to
postponements such as this.

In this light, we wonder how such a religious issue could get
so mixed up with the profane.

Since requesting an additional quota allocation is fraught
with uncertainty, Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs
should not have tried to extract such an additional allocation
from the Saudi Arabian government as the haj quota is based upon
common agreement.

Thus, it is important for the ministry to be prudent by
refraining from further speculative ventures as these in the long
run will only disadvantage the haj pilgrims themselves.

The ministry, which should be setting a moral example, has in
fact come under the spotlight due to anomalies in its handling of
the haj.

Is the ministry being led by the right people?

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta