Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 15-08-2018
The South African Hajj and Umrah Council (SAHUC) says it turned down an additional one thousand visas granted by the Saudi Arabian Embassy because it would’ve been impossible for the Hajj body or hujjaj to prepare for the journey on time.
Sahuc says it received official correspondence from the embassy on Monday informing them that a Royal Decree had been issued to increase the hajj quota for Hajj 1439.
Sahuc says while it appreciates the gesture by the Saudi authorities, there are a number of factors that would’ve made it impossible to accept the additional visas.
Sahuc president Ml Muhammad Vaid says they had no choice but to declines the additional quota due to the risks involved.
“At the eleventh hour, in order to facilitate all the necessary arrangements, it’s almost impossible. So hence in the interest of the Muslim public, as per the information we have at hand, as per the regulation and mandate that we operate within, it was decided that we cannot accede in fulfilling this task of a thousand visas, hence we had declined.”
Ml Vaid says they did engage authorities to inform them that despite being granted an additional thousand visas, it would be impossible to execute the processing of the hujjaj.
“We will always indulge and correspond with the authorities in this regard at the interests of the Muslims of South Africa, we have done so and will always do so. I think we should rather look at it this way that we will use what has taken place as leverage to further our negotiations for the increase in the quota for the forthcoming year.”
Ml Vaid says that this is not the first time Sahuc received an additional thousand visas which was granted at the last moment.
Listen to the interview with Ml Muhammad Vaid
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