No increase in SL Haj quota

Md Rasooldeen

Sri Lanka signed the annual Haj agreement with Saudi Arabia allowing Colombo to send 2,800 pilgrims.

Senior Minister A H M Fowzie who held talks with Saudi Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar told Arab News that this year, Sri Lanka was given the same quota of pilgrims as last year because of the ongoing development works in the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.

He said the island has more than three million Muslims and his ministry has so far received over 7,000 applicants for the forthcoming Haj.

Fowzie pointed out that Hajjar explained the difficulties faced by the Saudi authorities in accommodating a larger number of pilgrims because of the ongoing construction work at the holy sites.

Senior Minister A H M Fowzie met Saudi Arabian Haj Minister Dr Bandar bin Muhammed Hamza Al Hajjar and discussed matters related to Sri Lankan Haj pilgrims. Consul General of Sri Lanka in Jeddah Dr Adambawa Uduman Lebbe is also in the picture

Minister Fowzie said he was told that the expansion work is under way to allow for 150,000 pilgrims to circumambulate the Kaaba at a time.

"Currently 50,000 worshippers can circumambulate the Kaaba at a time," he said.

Since the Sri Lankan government has been given a relatively small quota for Haj, pilgrims would be allowed to do Haj on a "first-come, first-served basis," the minister said.

Fowzie said Colombo would like to see an increase in its quota of pilgrims in the coming years since Muslims in the island are now free to travel in and out of the country following the end of a long-running ethnic conflict.

"We have successfully eliminated the threat from the shores of Sri Lanka under the able leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa," Fowzie said.

He thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and his government for the services extended to the pilgrims every year. "Muslims are well looked after by the government. There are no restrictions imposed on the number of Haj pilgrims who wish to perform their religious duties," the visiting minister explained. "We allow everyone who wishes to perform his lifetime obligation to Allah," he said.

The minister said Haj procedures are streamlined through a network of operators based in all parts of the island. "We have a separate department to handle Haj operations and the Saudi Embassy in Colombo cooperates with the government issuing Haj visas to pilgrims promptly."

"Every year, the Lankan government blacklists operators who fail to comply with the Haj department requirements during the previous pilgrimage."

Courtesy: Arab News