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Muslims warned not to perform haj through improper procedures
East Java Deputy Governor Saifullah Yusuf said Muslims wanting to go on the haj should follow official procedures as set by the government.
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East Java Deputy Governor Syaifullah Yusuf speaks to journalists after an event recently. (Kompas.com/-)
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ast Java Deputy Governor Saifullah Yusuf said Muslims wanting to go on the haj should follow official procedures as set by the government. He later expressed his disappointment with the abuse of trust recently shown by several travel agents by facilitating several Muslim pilgrims to go on the haj via illegal ways.
“They have misused the trust they had. I pity them [the haj pilgrims] all,” the governor said as quoted by kompas.com in Surabaya on Thursday.
He referred to the arrest of 177 Indonesian haj pilgrims by immigration authorities at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila for using fake Philippine passports. They were lured to go on the haj via the Philippines, regardless of the extremely high costs they had to pay, as the Philippine haj waiting list is not as long as in Indonesia.
(Read also : PH unlikely to repatriate Indonesian haj pilgrims this month)
“With around Rp 150 million [US$11,333] worth of fees, they actually could have taken a special lane with not too long a waiting list, instead of using improper procedures, such as using unused seats of the haj quota of other countries,” said Saifullah.
Saifullah said he was concerned with the fate of 14 East Java residents, who were among 177 Indonesian haj pilgrims arrested by Philippine authorities. Accompanied by Pasuruan Regent Irsyad Yusuf, the deputy governor went to meet Nurul Huda, the leader of the Arafah haj pilgrimage counseling group (KBIH) that had facilitated their departure.
Saifullah warned East Java residents to not trust the Arafah KBIH, saying it was illegal to go on the haj from other countries. The KBIH also did not have a permit to organize haj travels, he added. (ebf)
