VP defends Minister of Religious Affairs
VP defends Minister of Religious Affairs
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra
Vice President Hamzah Haz jumped to the defense of Minister of
Religious Affairs Said Agiel Munawar, who has come under fire
following the recent cancellation of the 2004 haj pilgrimage for
30,000 hopeful Indonesian Muslims.
The pilgrimage was canceled, as the Saudi Arabian government
rejected Jakarta's request for an additional pilgrimage quota.
Hamzah said Said should not be blamed for the cancellation and
that he himself was aware that the Saudi government might reject
Indonesia's request for an additional quota for the 2004 haj.
He said he had asked the Saudi Arabian crown prince for an
expanded quota and had received a positive sign.
"Suddenly, a new development in Saudi Arabia made them unable
to accept more pilgrims. There are 17 countries, including
Indonesia, which cannot send more pilgrims than their original
quota," Hamzah said on the sidelines of the 30th anniversary of
the Medan State Islamic Institute.
Disappointed pilgrims have demanded Said Agiel's resignation,
although the government has promised those unable to make the
pilgrimage because of recent events that they would be given top
priority for the 2005 season without any additional fees.
A prospective pilgrim reportedly died of shock after hearing
of the cancellation.
Hamzah said he had already sent a letter and made a phone call
to the Saudi government to reconsider the cancellation.
"We don't know the real problem out there, but we have been
trying to ask for a new policy to make amends for the
cancellation. We are still awaiting Saudi Arabia's response on
this," he said.
He called on people not to make a fuss over the cancellation,
reminding them that Indonesia was not the only country facing the
sudden decision.
"Don't make it a political issue," he said.
The Vice President dismissed the possibility of bringing the
matter up at a Cabinet meeting, saying there was nothing to
discuss.
Asked whether the government was prepared for a class action
filed by disappointed pilgrims, Hamzah reiterated his call for
calm.
"I told you I also knew about the cancellation. But this is
beyond our capacity as a nation."
Separately, Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) chairman Sahal
Mahfudz called on disappointed pilgrimage candidates to exercise
their restraint and remain patient, because the religious affairs
ministry had carried out its job well.
"The haj pilgrims should not blame the Saudi Arabian
government, either, because the Holy Land (Mecca) cannot
accommodate more pilgrims," Sahal said as quoted by Antara.
He responded to demands from various groups to dissolve the
religious affairs ministry due to the cancellation: "If the
ministry is dissolved, who will take care of the pilgrimage? We
will only worsen the situation."