Radio Islam International | 25 Dhul Qa’dah 1437/29 August 2016

177 Indonesians arrested in Philippines for alleged Hajj fraud

What appears to have been a desperate effort to go on the haj pilgrimage, the ultimate goal of any devout Muslim, has led to the arrest of 177 Indonesians who were allegedly attempting to go to Mecca by making use of the Philippines’ quota.

The group of pilgrims were arrested on August 19 at Manila International Airport after it was discovered that they could not speak the local language and their Philippine passports were fake.

This case of falsifying passports and using a foreign quota is not the first instance of Indonesian pilgrims, who can wait for up to two decades to get a chance to go on the pilgrimage, trying to get around the country’s relatively small quota.

“The available quota and the demand [for Indonesia] is not balanced nowadays. This happens not only in Indonesia. In neighboring countries, people can even wait 50 years to get a place to go to the holy land,” the Religious Affairs Ministry’s director-general of Haj and Umrah, Abdul Jamil, said.

The Directorate of Immigration in Jakarta is currently investigating whether the 177 people flew to the Philippines in a group or individually.

This year, the Saudi Arabian government has granted Indonesia around 168,800 haj places, the same quota that it gave to the country in 2015.

In 2015, the kingdom pledged an additional 10,000 seats for Indonesian pilgrims, but these can only be taken up after Saudi Arabia finishes the renovation and expansion of the Masjidil Haram grand mosque in Mecca in 2017.

Saudi cut haj quotas for Indonesia from 211,000 to 168,800 for safety reasons when it started the expansion of the mosque in 2013. The Indonesian government expects to get the normal 168,800 haj quota and the additional 10,000 places when the mosque construction is finished in 2017.

In June last year, police in Parepare, South Sulawesi, arrested 37 pilgrims who had attempted to go to Mecca also using the Philippine quota, which is known for being under-used and traded through international syndicates.

The pilgrims who were arrested on Friday reportedly paid between US$6,000 and $10,000 per person to depart as haj pilgrims from the Philippines.

Philippine authorities are still investigating the case, but insist they will bring the 177 people, who are currently being detained at an immigration detention center, to court along with two Philippine escorts, in order to uncover the network of haj syndicates in the country.

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry has welcomed the plan as it believes that the 177 people were victims of an international haj syndicate based in the Philippines.

The legal process in the Philippines could also help the government of Indonesia to figure out whether any parties in Indonesia have assisted the Philippine syndicate in recruiting haj pilgrims in Indonesia and whether the practice has been ongoing in Indonesia for some time.

“We support the plan to pursue the legal process because we also have an interest in curbing the syndicates. As for the [177] Indonesians, we are confident that they are victims in the case, unless, it is later found out that some of them also acted as members of the syndicate,” the Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s director for the protection of Indonesian nationals and entities abroad, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, told The Jakarta Post.

Iqbal said the Indonesian government would provide assistance during the legal process and would ensure that both countries made the “best decisions for the Indonesian nationals in accordance with the rule of law” in the case.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that many people took advantage of poorly educated people by offering them illegal ways to Saudi Arabia.

“The pilgrims are victims. It is the people who give them passports who should be punished,” Kalla said

UPDATE: Indonesian Govt secures release of 177 haj pilgrims

The government has secured the release of all 177 Indonesian haj pilgrims recently arrested by Philippine authorities. Indonesian authorities have obtained permission to move the pilgrims to the embassy premises.

A select few from the group are now expected to assist in an ongoing investigation as witnesses after Indonesian officials successfully convinced the local authorities that the pilgrims were victims of a fraud syndicate.

The Indonesian Embassy in Manila transferred 39 Indonesian pilgrims from an immigration detention facility to guest houses in its compound in Manila on Friday morning. The 39 pilgrims followed 138 others who were moved from the facility on Thursday.

Deputy chief of mission Ade Petranto said the removal process was permitted following a transfer request sent to the Philippine Department of Justice to consider the embassy’s facilities as a more appropriate alternative for housing the pilgrims.

“The transfer was authorized after the embassy provided a letter of guarantee on Thursday,” said Ade on Friday in a written statement.

He further said the group could not be repatriated yet as Philippine Department of Justice officials were scheduled to meet with them on Aug. 30.

Jakarta has repeatedly argued the case that the 177 pilgrims arrested in Manila on Aug. 19 were not the knowing perpetrators of fraud.

Philippine authorities are now treating them as victims of a syndicate reportedly selling off unused haj quotas provided by Saudi Arabia to the Southeast Asian country, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto told reporters.

“There is no need for us to worry much further, because they [the pilgrims] were really clueless and had no intention of committing fraud,” Wiranto said on Friday.

Wiranto said the Indonesian Embassy in Manila would continue to monitor the investigation of the local authorities into the so-called “pilgrimage fraud syndicate”.

Philippine Immigration head Jaime Morente said the fake Philippine passports used by the pilgrims were reportedly provided by their brokers.

Haj fees paid by the pilgrims reportedly varied, starting from US$6,000 to $10,000 per person. They used unused seats of the haj quota provided by Saudi Arabia for the Philippines.

Morente said the group was exposed after airport staff discovered that they were unable to speak Tagalog.

(Jakarta Post)

Sierra Leone: Officials arrested for hajj funds theft

Two top government officials were arrested Thursday by Sierra Leone’s anti-graft agency for alleged embezzlement of Hajj funds, the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission announced.

Momoh Bockarie Foh, the permanent secretary at the Social Welfare Ministry, which controls hajj affairs, and also brother of the country’s Vice President Victor Bockarie Foh, and the ministry’s chief accountant Mariatu Harding were arrested after a leaked audio allegedly records them trying to pocket up to $3,000 meant for Hajj activities.

The leaked audio circulated on social media has the permanent secretary allegedly telling a bank official to transfer the funds to a private account for him, and also mentioning the accountant’s name.

This tip made the anti-graft agency arrest the two officials as the investigation continues.

Pilgrims from Sierra Leone were banned by Saudi authorities from attending Hajj for the last two years due to the Ebola outbreak. The ban was lifted in June, and an estimated 1,600 pilgrims are expected to make the trip to the holy land this year.

The Social Welfare Ministry has been wracked by controversies, as the former Minister Moijueh Kaikai and his deputy were sacked by the president for official misconduct.

The current minister, Sylvia Blyden, has also been controversial, but has also taken stands against corruption.

A government official speaking on condition of anonymity due to fears of retribution told Anadolu Agency that this alleged embezzlement is a test to see if the government is serious in fighting corruption, as one of the accused is the vice president’s brother

‘Write your will before going for Hajj’

An Abuja-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Yahya Al-Yolawi, has advised intending pilgrims to settle their debts and leave their wills behind before travelling to Saudi Arabia.

Al-yolawi, who is the Chief Imam of Area 10 Mosque, made the call while delivering Jumma’at sermon title:“ Essential tips for Hajj Preparations“ on Friday in Abuja.

“An intending pilgrim should settle his debts and leave behind him a clear record as well as writing all his wills or what he intends to pass to his family,’’ he said.

According to the cleric, the need to leave a will behind is because the journey to Holy land may be the final journey for a pilgrim.

He explained that hajj was a unique and extra ordinary journey in the life time of all pilgrims, adding that it was an invitation from Allah to the most famous acts of worship.

The cleric said that journey to hajj required high level of patience as it was always accompanied with difficulties, fatigue, physical and social abnormalities as well as intolerance from other pilgrims.

“One should not allow Shaitan (devil) to hijack him and spoil his hajj out of ignorance or annoyance,” he said.

Mr. Al-Yolawi said there was need for pilgrims to fulfill all the hajj requirements and avoid all things that would nullify his hajj rites with a view to getting all the spiritual benefits of pilgrimage.

“This emphasises on the importance of piety as first ingredient of one’s journey to Mecca, which means to maintain good relationship with your Lord by devoting yourself to obey him.

“The intention behind one’s journey to hajj must be for the sake of Allah alone as whoever performs any act of worship in order to please people or gain popularity has spoilt his action.

“Prophets Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: learn your rituals from me, for I do not know whether I would be performing Hajj after this Hajj of mine,” (Muslim Hadith no 1297).

Mr. Al-Yolawi admonished pilgrims to ensure that their sources of finance and other materials things were clean and legitimate because “Allah accepts only that which is pure’’.

He also warned pilgrims against taking photographs for whatever purpose while observing hajj rite, saying that such action could contradict pilgrims’ sincerity of performing hajj for the sake of Allah.

Similarly, the cleric said women having their monthly period should be in a state of Ihram when they pass the Miqat, adding that they should shower and do Talbiyah like everyone else.

Mr. Al-Yolawi, therefore, prayed to Allah to continue to protect Islam and safeguard Nigerian pilgrims as they take off to Saudi Arabia.

“May the Lord accept their Hajj, prayers, grant their supplications and bring them back to us safely and peacefully,’’ he said.

Hajj charter flights from Sarajevo International Airport

A total of eight round trip charter flights will take pilgrims from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Holy city of Mecca in Saudia Arabia. About 1400 pilgrims will travel by air. All flight will depart and return from/to Sarajevo International Airport. This year all flights are scheduled to operate with Turkish Charter Airline, Free Bird Airlines using an Airbus 320 with seating capacity of 180 passengers.

Hujaaj from Gujurat face slush challenge at Ahmedabad Airport

Even as Gujarat is sending the highest ever 7,500 haj pilgrims to Mecca, the road to holy journey is laden with muck and slush for passengers arriving at Ahmedabad-based Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport.

Passengers are sending out pictures of the haj pilgrims, dressed in all whites, trudging their trolleys in deep slush. One of the haj pilgrims, Ahmed Patel, said that three to four pilgrims were injured after they fell down on the slippery soil near the terminal-3.

On August 21, Union minister of state for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had flagged off the first batch of 300 pilgrims.

The government and Gujarat Haj Committee are boasting about the fact that the highest number of pilgrims will fly from the state this year, but the mismanagement is causing hurdles to the pilgrims, said a relative of one of the pilgrims.

Special send-off for Omani pilgrims

Pilgrims travelling to perform Haj in the holy city of Mecca will be extended special treatment at the Muscat International and Salalah Airports to make their travel experience easier.

During departure, the Oman Airport Management Company (OAMC) will ensure, in coordination with airport security officials, that a Haj-specific security check is installed for only Haj travellers.

There will also be six check-in counters dedicated solely to the pilgrims’ needs in order to avoid congestion and mix-ups with regular travellers. A special team will be available to assist the pilgrims with their documents and facilitate procedures for them in order to ensure a smooth flow of operations, in addition to the ground staff assisting the disabled.

As they are leaving the gate, the staff will also distribute some basic necessities among the travellers, which they might need during their pilgrimage, as well as a Haj guidebook. On returning to both the Muscat International and Salalah Airports, after successfully performing Haj; there will be dedicated counters for the travellers to ensure smooth immigration procedures, as well as transit areas.

The travellers will be greeted with offerings of coffee and Omani halwa (a sweet) by the airport staff after they complete immigration procedures and before entering the Duty Free zone. Ground staff will also be increased at the baggage claim counters to assist the arriving Haj travellers and to ensure a fluid flow of passenger traffic throughout the airport.

Rafah crossing to be opened for Gaza pilgrims

Egyptian authorities will exceptionally reopen the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday to allow pilgrims from the Israeli-blockaded strip to cross, a Palestinian official said.

“Rafah terminal will be open for three consecutive days,” Hisham Adwan, Palestinian director of the crossing, told Anadolu Agency on Saturday.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Endowment, some 2,008 pilgrims will leave the strip for the major pilgrimage of Hajj.

Blockaded by Israel — by air, land and sea — since 2007, the Gaza Strip has seven border crossings linking it to the outside world.

Six of these are controlled by Israel, while the seventh — the Rafah crossing — is controlled by Egypt, which keeps it tightly sealed for the most part since the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi in a 2013 military coup.

Israel sealed four of its commercial crossings with Gaza in June 2007 after Hamas wrested control of the strip from the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority.

(Anadolu)

Libyan Hajj pilgrims make maiden flight to Saudi Arabia

The first flights of pilgrims headed for the holy land of Mecca took off from Tripoli’s Metiga airport. A spokesman of the pilgrimage mission said 10 flights will be headed to Mecca from western and southern Libya, with an average of two trips per day.

Pilgrimage to Mecca is an Islamic duty ritual mandatory to all adult Muslims, capable physically and financially, at least once in a lifetime.

The spokesman pointing out that the pilgrims of eastern Libya will fly from Al-Abrag airport in eastern Libya.

The pilgrimage committee responsible for the management of pilgrims affairs has arrived on Sunday evening to Mecca.

In the meanwhile, the country suffers an ongoing war between forces loyal to the UN-backed government and IS affiliates in Sirte, a city located come 450 km east the capital Tripoli. Enditem

(Xinhua)

Last day for hajj registration in Kuwait

Today is the last day for those who want to register for hajj this year, a Kuwaiti official said yesterday. Pilgrims are warned against going to unlicensed campaigns, said Khalaif Al-Athaina, Head of the Kuwait hajj mission and assistant undersecretary for coordination, technical support and foreign relations at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs.

He also urged pilgrims to make sure that the agencies they go through are approved by the Awqaf Ministry so that they can enter the holy land and perform hajj, because most unlicensed campaigns will have difficulties in entering Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, Athaina urged all pilgrims to go to vaccination centers of the health ministry to take the necessary vacancies to be protected from any infectious diseases.