Radio Islam International | 04 Dhul Hijjah 1437/06 September 2016

Final Hajj Flights Leave Dubai

The last of the Haj pilgrims who are departing from Dubai are due to fly out on Tuesday, a senior official said.

On Monday, around 1,600 pilgrims departed on Emirates flights from Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport, said Mohammad Al Marzouqi, head of the Haj committee at Dubai Airports

He added that so far around 16,000 transit passengers had also travelled via Dubai to Saudi Arabia for Haj. The first Haj flights from Dubai started operating on August 24.

Meanwhile, the first of additional Haj flights from Dubai to Saudi Arabia took off on Friday from Terminal 1, carrying 400 UAE-based pilgrims.

There will be a total of 12 additional flights from Dubai to Saudi Arabia for pilgrims during this Haj season, Al Marzouqi, who is also head of baggage operations, had earlier said.

A total of 4,982 UAE-based pilgrims are leaving for Haj this year — 4,631 Emiratis and 351 expatriates.

Pilgrims are provided dedicated services all the way from the airport gate to the boarding gate, Al Marzouqi said. These include a welcome area where they are given gift bags, and dedicated check in and immigration counters.

On Monday, pilgrims at Terminal 3 were seen receiving items such as umbrellas (for heat protection in Saudi Arabia), first aid kits, refreshments, sweets, Haj guide books, and copies of the Quran. Free basic health checks were also provided on the spot at the reception area at Gate 1.

“When the pilgrims return from Haj, we will have special arrangements to welcome them back and honour them,” Al Marzouqi said.

Smooth passage

Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) has also put in place a range of initiatives that will ensure the smooth and safe passage of pilgrims through the airport.

In order to handle the four extra Etihad Airways’ Haj flights, along with Saudi Arabian Airlines’ scheduled flights to Makkah and Madinah, dedicated check-in counters have been put in place. Opposite these counters, space has been allocated to the Ministry of Health and Prevention to provide pilgrims with personal Haj kits and safety booklets, and a fully equipped Haj clinic has been established in Terminal 1 to tackle any emergency diagnosis or treatment of pilgrims, should the need arise.

Pilgrims will also be offered free food and beverage vouchers to enjoy at Abu Dhabi Duty Free while they wait to board their flights to Saudi Arabia.

Mohammad Al Katheri, acting chief operations officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said Haj is a “highly significant occasion that can also be physically demanding. We hope that the measures we have undertaken at the airport will help minimise the stress of travel for those taking part in this religious trip”.

What is a Green Haj?

Nearly three million Muslims perform the Haj (pilgrimage) each year. The Haj gathering is considered to be the largest gathering of people in the world, with Muslims from many countries around the world coming to Makkah, Saudi Arabia to perform the religious rites.

Allah says in the Quran: “Fulfil the pilgrimage and make the visitation for Allah. If you are prevented, then whatever offering that may be easy.” (Surat Al Baqarah, 196).

Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims, which must be carried out at least once in the lifetime by every adult Muslim who is physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey.

From an environmental point of view, there are many environmental concerns and hazards associated with the pilgrimage and only by good governance of these environmental issues will the Haj will become a win-win situation for everyone, that is, the host country (Saudi Arabia), the pilgrims and the rest of the world where pilgrims come from.

One of the biggest environmental issues associated with Haj is “waste”. During the Haj season, huge quantities of waste are generated, which need to be well managed. Other impacts related to the pilgrimage include wasteful water usage and wastewater generation and treatment. Also, air pollution, caused by the transport vehicles, is another serious environmental problem which affects the pilgrims’ health

In fact, a large number of pilgrims are not aware of the importance of protecting the environment that is recognised in the Islamic teachings. To achieve a green Haj and reduce the environmental footprint, the pilgrims need to behave in a more environmentally friendly way. The environment is in man’s custody. He must care for it and refrain from causing any damage to it or spoiling it for the simple reason that he is its main beneficiary. If his activities harm one or more aspects of the environment, he will be the one who suffers. This logic is very clear during Haj. That is, slight pollution can have a very serious negative environmental effects and a huge impact on the health of pilgrims.

Thus, Muslims must translate the great teachings of Islam, especially during Haj, as a Muslim cannot perform a religious duty and at the same time pollute and cause harm to the environment and others. Environmental stewardship during the Haj is a must for the correctness of the Haj’s religious rites.

Thus, on the one hand, it is worth raising the environmental awareness of pilgrims to encourage them to make their Hajj more sustainable by the following tips:

* Green purchasing; that is, buying not only what is required but also environmentally–friendly products.

*In addition, it is of the utmost importance to rationalise water consumption by using the minimum quantities required for ablution, taking baths as well as other personal needs. Re-using water bottles and minimising electricity usage is crucial.

* It is very important to avoid littering and pilgrims must dispose waste at designated locations.

*The use of cloth bags, instead of plastic bags, as well as the use of public transportation as much as possible is advisable.

Saudi authorities such as the Municipality of Makkah strive to make the Haj season sustainable. For instance, the municipality has introduced a number of technologies regarding waste management to provide the best environment for the pilgrims. In addition, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, represented by the central administration of the projects, developed an integrated plan to operate the Sacred Areas’ Train in 2015. The train’s operational process includes identifying pilgrim camp sites, trails and their access to stations in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah.

At the end of this year (in December 2016), pilgrims will be able to use the Haramain High speed Railway, which connects the two holy cities in Saudi Arabia.

Moreover, the Makkah Metro is the first metro line in Saudi Arabia built to serve pilgrims. Four more lines are scheduled to begin construction in 2016. The Makkah Metro is critical to helping ease the heavy congestion during Haj, as it handles crowds of around 90,000 people per hour. There is no doubt that, using public transportations and trains will help reduce air pollution and traffic congestion

In fact, the protection, conservation and sustainable development of the environment and natural resources are a religious duty to which every Muslim should be committed. Thus, the Haj can represent a unique example of sustainability if the pilgrims behave in an environmentally-friendly manner and avoid different types of pollution and overconsumption.

(Gulf News)

Big Hajj Demand from Singapore

A three-year bid by Singapore to increase the number of haj places for pilgrims may see progress soon.

Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim yesterday said he is “hopeful” that Singapore will get an additional 120 spots for the pilgrimage to Mecca “in the years to come”.

Currently, the number of Singaporeans allowed to go on the pilgrimage is 680, after a quota system was introduced to limit numbers while construction work takes place.

He cited two factors for his optimism: Previous Singaporean haj pilgrims have maintained the nation’s positive reputation.

Saudi authorities are also aware Singapore’s population has grown, resulting in greater demand.

“At the moment, the waiting time (for people to go on the pilgrimage) is 15 years. We know there’s a lot of demand from our community,” said Dr Yaacob, who is also the Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Cyber Security.

He was at Changi Airport yesterday to send off the largest batch of haj pilgrims this year, 467 people, to Saudi Arabia. Ninety per cent of this year’s pilgrims are first-timers.

They will be accompanied by a 21-member delegation from Muis, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, which includes four doctors and 10 nurses.

The Singapore Government has been asking its Saudi counterpart for more places since 2013.

Miss Nur Asyura Suratman, 21, a software engineering technician, is among those embarking on the annual pilgrimage. “I’m quite excited as not many people my age go for this. I believe I’m the first of my friends from my madrasah to do so.”

She is travelling with her parents. The pilgrimage for the three of them cost almost $40,000. They had been on the waiting list for five years.

Indonesia urges unused Hajj quotas to be shared with other nations

The world’s most populated Muslim nation is calling on Saudi Arabia to divert unused Hajj quotas to those who need it most, following the arrest of 177 Indonesians in Manila as they posed as Philippines Muslims in an effort to get to Mecca.

In a statement published on the ministry website Monday, Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin asked for the quota to be revised proportionality, and for unused passports to be offered to other countries.

“The proportional Hajj quota should be complimented by the handing over of unused quotas to countries that have long queues,” Saifuddin said.

Hajj quotas are determined by the amount of Muslims in each country, with the amount set at 1,000 pilgrims per one million Muslims.

As the recipient of the largest Hajj quota, Indonesia — which has a population of around 256 million — sends around 200,000 pilgrims to Mecca and Medina every year for the largest annual gathering of people in the world.

On Aug. 19, around 200 foreigners — 177 Indonesians and 10 Malaysians — were stopped from boarding an early morning flight to Saudi Arabia after they were found with Philippines Hajj passports.

Police have said that their true nationalities became obvious when they were unable to converse in any of the native Philippines languages.

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry said Saturday that the pilgrims had come from various parts of Indonesia, with 100 of them hailing from South Sulawesi province — where residents experience the longest Hajj queue of up to 32 years.

Each Indonesian pilgrim must pay a deposit of around $2,500 and there are currently more than 2 million Indonesians on the waiting list, prompting some to seek alternatives to registering for the Muslim pilgrimage from the archipelago.

Saifuddin claimed that the allocation system was no longer valid, because some countries do not absorb their quota and many Indonesians are forced to wait for a long time.

“There are countries where the queue is so long because the quota is not compatible with the public interest to go Hajj,” he said.

On Sunday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo met Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China, where he raised the possibility of increasing the quota.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi, who accompanied Widodo at the meeting, was quoted as saying by detik.com that Indonesia understands that every country has a Hajj quota, but not all of them use it fully.

“Is it possible if quotas are not used by other countries that they can be used by Indonesia?” asked Marsudi, adding that the deputy crown prince had requested a special discussion on the issue at a separate forum.

“Prince Salman will instruct the Saudi Arabia foreign minister to meet to discuss the Hajj quota,” she said.

Pakistani President on Hajj

President Mamnoon Hussain arrived in Saudi Arabia along with his family on Saturday evening to perform Hajj.

According to Arab News, the President offered prayers at Masjid al-Nabawi on Saturday and Sunday ahead of his travel to perform the annual ritual, said Pakistan ambassador Manzoorul Haq.

“President Mamnoon prayed for excellent bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia. He also prayed for the solidarity, progress and prosperity of the people of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, and for peace and prosperity of the Muslim Ummah,” he added.

The envoy also highlighted that the visit of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Asia began from Pakistan in January, showing the country’s significance in the region.

As many as 142,000 Pakistani pilgrims will be performing Hajj this year, with over 105,000 pilgrims from the country already reaching Makkah.

Syrians arrive for Hajj

Over 11,000 Syrians arrived in Mecca to perform Hajj under the auspices of the Syrian Coalition’s Hajj Committee.

Secretary-General of the Syrian Coalition and head of the Hajj Committee Abdul Ilah Alfahd said that the bulk of Syrians who had wanted to perform hajj arrived in Mecca. Alfahd also said that the committee oversees the provision of services to Syrian pilgrims during hajj, adding that the pilgrims are being accompanied by medical staff to provide the necessary medical care.

Applications for haj had been submitted to the offices of Hajj Committee in Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, and Jordan. The Committee has the exclusive right to receive and manage the applications.

The Committee also oversees the issuance of visas from the Kingdom Saudi Arabia, transportation and housing of pilgrims in Mecca and Medina, and the holy sites.

The Hajj Committee was set up under an agreement between the Syrian Coalition and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj in 2014. (Source: Syrian Coalition)