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Haj pilgrims to follow strict schedules
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Haj pilgrims from Sumenep, Madura, board a plane at Juanda International Airport in Sidoarjo regency, East Java, on Aug. 9. (JP/Wahyoe Boediwardhana)
T
he Indonesian haj committee will tell all haj pilgrims to follow the regulations and schedules for the jumrah throwing ritual, which symbolizes the act of stoning the devil, in Mina to prevent more fatal incidents like the stampede that occurred last year.
The Indonesian Haj Management Committee (PPIH) has received the schedules from the Muassasah Foundation, a body set up by the Saudi Arabian government to handle haj pilgrims from all Southeast Asian countries.
The committee will soon distribute the schedules to all groups of Indonesian haj pilgrims.
“We are strict on this matter to discipline the pilgrims. We have asked for a commitment from every group to not go outside of the schedule. We want to prevent the stampede that took place in Mina last year from happening again,” PPIH spokesperson Arsyad Hidayat said.
According to data, more than 59,000 of the Indonesians who received one of the country’s 155,200 quota places had arrived in Mecca as of Thursday.
“As of Thursday afternoon Indonesian time, 145 groups had touched down in Mecca, the city where the Prophet Muhammad PBUH was born,” Religious Affairs Ministry official Eko Dwi Irianto said as quoted by Antara news agency.
The first group of the executive-class pilgrims, known as ONH plus, from Asia was welcomed by Muassasah Asia and members of the Association of Indonesia Haj and Umrah Organizers (Amphuri).
Amphuri chairman Joko Asmoro said the welcoming ceremony was conducted with typical traditions of the Middle East, including Arabian meals.
Meanwhile, Indonesian haj pilgrims who wish to pay dam — a fine for performing umrah first rather than the haj — were urged to pay through the Saudi Arabian Al Rajhi Bank, Aswadi, an official tasked to guide Indonesian pilgrims in Mecca, said on Friday.
“It’s in order to make it more organized and to ensure the funds will be channeled to needy people,” he said.
Aswadi acknowledged that not all Indonesian pilgrims were aware of the transaction mechanism using the Saudi Arabian bank.
A citizen of Medan, North Sumatra, Jusmiarti said she instead bought a goat in a nearby market with the help of a local driver.
Meanwhile, haj pilgrims from Surabaya in East Java and Makassar in South Sulawesi, have allegedly pretended to be residents of Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, to avoid the lengthy waiting times in their hometowns.
“We need to investigate how they managed to get Kupang ID cards,” the mayor of Kupang, Jonas Saelan, told reporters on Friday.
Jonas said that the unlawful act from people allegedly coming from Surabaya and Makassar had hurt the residents of Kupang, where 2,500 citizens are on the haj waiting list.
“Only if the quota is not fully filled, then people outside of the city may use it,” he said.
Jonas added that the 48 people who used Kupang ID cards were identified after they gave their health cards to the regency’s religious affairs office for medical check-ups. (fac)
Djemi Amnifu contributed to this article
