Dear brothers and sisters, July 25, 2009; Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmathullahi Wa Bharakhathuhu. May Allah Subhana Wa Taala reward brother Shahid for the mail. Since the authorities have decided not to allow pregnant women and elderly sick persons, their application for Hajj this year Inshah Allah would be denied. In denying the visa applications the authorities would be behaving like the Quraish who denied permission to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Accordingly the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, completing the Umra at the time of the Hudhaibiyah treaty applies. We urge the pregnant women and chronically sick elders to apply for the Hajj visa this time. Once denied they might follow the procedure followed by Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and hope that Allah Subhana Wa Taala accepts their Hajj. Those who have received permission in the subcontinent [Bangladesh, India, Pakistan] from their governments and who would be denied now because of the decision might persuade their escorts to proceed to complete their Hajj. They might arrange to sacrifice on behalf of their elderly, and pregnant women who are detained back home. These sacrifices could as well be done in Mina, Saudi Arabia. Those applicants who were not to be escorted but are denied visa, might request the government authorities to transfer their allottment to a poor able Muslim whom they might persuade to apply for the Hajj visa now. In case the able and poor Muslim gets the visa that was already allocated to the elder or the pregnant woman, they could spend their expected expenses as a gift to the poor Muslim to perform Hajj on their behalf too. The poor Muslim would Inshah Allah get the reward for doing Hajj while those who financed the travel and other expenses also would get the reward, Inshah Allah. As for those who could not benefit by the methods suggested in the preceding two paragraphs, they might enter into Ihram on the day they would have done in Saudi Arabia, follow all the rituals except the travel, and offer the sacrifice on the day of Eid at their place and leave Ihram. Inshah Allah they would have followed the Sunnah of the denied Hajj. We pray that Allah Subhana Wa Taala accepts their Hajj. Kindly forward to all your friends who were planning to perform Hajj this year. Allah Subhana Wa Taala knows best. Your brother,
Mohideen Ibramsha Was Salaam =================
--- On Sat, 7/25/09, Shahid <zakhum@hotmail.com> wrote:
From: Shahid <zakhum@hotmail.com>
Subject: [MasjidNabwi] Hajj meeting to tackle swine flu - recommendation is ‘a logistical nightmare’
To:
Date: Saturday, July 25, 2009, 11:50 PM
Emergency meet in Cairo to tackle swine flu
RIYADH: Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah will lead the Saudi delegation at an emergency meeting of the Arab health ministers in Cairo on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health announced here on Monday.
The meeting will discuss the procedures and precautionary measures to be taken to combat swine flu and reduce its spread during Haj and Umrah this year.
The other members of the Saudi delegation include Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Khalid Al-Mirghalani, Ziad Al-Memesh, assistant deputy minister of health, and Thaha Melbari, director general of international affairs at the Ministry of Health.
The emergency meeting has been organized by the Cairo-based Regional Office of the World Health Organization for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO).
Al-Mirghalani told Arab News that 22 countries in the Arab world would discuss issues related to swine flu and its spread in the region.
He said that the Saudi team would present the 15 recommendations concluded at the recent workshop held in Jeddah at which swine flu experts from the World Health Organization and the Atlanta-based Center for Disease Control (CDC) exchanged opinions concerning the virus.
The recommendations of the workshop are not to send pregnant women pilgrims, children under five and elderly people who are suffering from chronic diseases for Umrah or Haj.
It was recommended that all pilgrims should take the stipulated vaccines at least two weeks prior to their departure for the holy cities.
The workshop also decided to inform the countries that send pilgrims to organize health education programs for their pilgrims in order to create awareness among them.
In a related development, the Ministry of Health announced yesterday that it would no longer send daily reports on the incidence of swine flu in the Kingdom. Since May 29, a total of 294 cases have been reported in the Kingdom and the ministry reiterated that it would keep the public informed.
Haj bar move ‘a logistical nightmare’
Haj authorities in India and Pakistan are gearing up for a logistical nightmare after the Arab health ministers’ decision in Cairo on Wednesday to restrict the elderly and children from performing Haj this year.
Egypt too expected a drop by 30 to 40 percent in the number of people performing Umrah and Haj this year following the Cairo recommendations.
The ministers unanimously agreed at the emergency meeting in the Egyptian capital that people over the age of 65 and children under the age of 12 and those with chronic illnesses should be excluded from undertaking the pilgrimage to Makkah.
“The total number of pilgrims will not be restricted,” Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah was quoted as saying by news agencies. “We will not change the quota of any country. We have agreed to change certain rules” in an effort to contain the spread of the H1N1 flu virus, he said. Representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) also attended the meeting.
Although the Arab health ministers’ decision has to be ratified by their governments, WHO Regional Director Hussein Gezairi told news agencies it would likely be OK’d by the Saudi government. “The Saudi government will make (these conditions) a requirement ... No one will get their visa unless these requirements are fulfilled,” Gezairi told AFP.
In June, Saudi Arabia had called on the elderly, ill and other unfit Muslims to postpone the journey to Makkah due to fears over the swine flu virus.
“If those above 65 are not be allowed to undertake the journey to Makkah for health reasons then this is bad news for almost 35 percent of our pilgrims,” said Hafiz Naushad Ahmed Azmi, a member of India’s Central Haj Committee (HCI). Speaking to Arab News from India by telephone, Azmi said all those Indians whose Haj applications have been approved are in a celebratory mood. “For them the countdown has already begun. Their preparations are complete in all respects. The money for the once-in-a-lifetime journey has already been deposited with the Haj agencies. They are now only waiting for the Haj visa to be stamped on their passports. All those above 65 will be very disheartened. This will break their hearts,” said Azmi.
Of the 115,000 Indians whose Haj applications have been approved by the HCI, nearly 20 percent are above the age of 65.
“However, those above 65 will not be traveling alone. Some of them are to be accompanied by sons, daughters or other family members. If a man or woman above 65 is now not allowed to undertake the journey then those who were to go along with him or her will also drop their pilgrimage plans,” said Azmi. “So it will affect a large number of intending pilgrims.”
India’s Haj quota is in the excess of 1.5 million. Most of the pilgrims come through the government-supervis ed Haj Committee while the rest come through private travel operators. Those applying through the Haj Committee plan their journey months in advance. This year, nearly 400,000 Indians applied for Haj through the committee. Of them, only 115,000 were selected as per the quota through a draw of lots.
“Now if those above 65 are to be canceled then we will have to go back to those on the rejected list and approve them. What else can we do? We would like to use our quota to the fullest. To compound the problem we are just three months away from Haj,” said Azmi.
Indian Haj Consul B.S. Mubarak said he was aware of the recommendations made in Cairo regarding Haj visas. “However, it is too early to comment on something that is still in the stage of recommendations,” he said. “We are in constant touch with the Ministry of Haj and with the Haj Committee of India. We are keeping them informed on the swine flu-related guidelines. Unless and until, we get something in writing, we can’t do much,” he added.
Mubarak admitted that if the Cairo recommendations are approved then it would entail huge logistical challenges. “It will be a very cumbersome and painful process ... to reject those who have already been given the green signal before,” he said.
Pakistan faces similar challenges. “If you ask me, nearly 50 percent of our pilgrims are above the age of 65. In the past we have had an overwhelming number of pilgrims in that age group. This year will be no exception,” said Behrullah Hazarvi, the Jeddah-based Pakistan Haj director.
In the Subcontinent, Haj is always undertaken during life’s golden years. “A large number of people in Pakistan wait for their end-of-service benefits before undertaking the pilgrimage. They ensure that they are free of all responsibilities before they head to Makkah. For many, these responsibilities include marrying off their sons and daughters. This has been the convention in the Subcontinent,” he added.
Hazarvi said Saudi Arabia has world-class health care facilities, and it should be able to let everyone in for Haj. “For our people, the decision to perform Haj is taken years in advance. It is not an overnight decision,” he said. “For the elderly, this will be very painful ... one that will shock them beyond words.”
A majority of Pakistanis undertake the pilgrimage under the supervision of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. “We have a quota of 80,000 and we have received 86,000 applications. Another 40,000 travel to Makkah through private tour operators. The draw of lots for government-administ ered quota will take place on Aug. 6. If the directions come beforehand then it will make our task easier. We can avoid considering the applications of those above 65,” said Hazarvi.
Hassan Gamal Eddine, undersecretary at the Egyptian Tourism Ministry, told Arab News that if the recommendations of the Arab health ministers are accepted, the number of Egyptian pilgrims will fall considerably as pilgrims above 65 years constituted 40 percent of Haj pilgrims and 30 percent of Umrah pilgrims.
An Egyptian Haj and Umrah tour operator, Barkat Sab of the Baron Travel Agency, said the latest decision is somewhat comforting to the tourism industry in Egypt as the general impression was that the Haj and Umrah season would be canceled this year. “The ministerial decision gave the workers in the industry new hope,” he said.
Egyptian Consul General in Jeddah Ali Al-Asiri said the decision of the ministerial meeting was taken in the best interest of the pilgrims.
It is estimated that 1.2 million Egyptians perform Umrah and 80,000 the Haj pilgrimage annually.
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