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Come hell or high water: Pilgrim to go on haj at 107 years old
Sumiati, 107, is determined to go on haj despite her declining health.
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At 107 years old, Sumiati will be the oldest haj pilgrim from Indonesia scheduled to depart to Mecca in July this year. (JP/Asip Hasani)
A
t 107 years old, Sumiati, a resident of Jombang, East Java, is determined to fly to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, next month to go on haj despite her declining health. Born on June 1, 1912, she is likely to be the oldest haj pilgrim from Indonesia this year.
"Going on haj is one of the five pillars of Islam," Sumiati told The Jakarta Post at her house in Ngoro district, Jombang.
Sumiati suffers from heart problems. During a haj rehearsal held by the local religious affairs office on Wednesday, she felt her hands turn cold before fainting.
As a result, she failed to complete the rehearsal, which aims to prepare pilgrims for the rites and ceremonies of haj before they fly to Mecca in July.
Her daughter, Tri Kuncorowati, could not help but shed tears at the thought of Sumiati going on the trip. Sumiati will be accompanied by her other daughter, who is herself 60 years old. Sumiati's husband passed away in 1982.
"We actually wanted my son or my sister's son to accompany her, but the government would not allow people other than the participants' husbands or children to accompany them," Kuntorowati said.
Sumiati is one of seven haj pilgrims from Jombang whose departure date had been accelerated because of their old age.
