Global News Post: Haj

Hajj Pilgrims Reflect on Regional Conflicts

<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Thousands
of Muslim have been arriving in the Saudi city of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mecca</st1:place></st1:city> for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">As
the sun rose over <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Mount</st1:placetype>
 <st1:placename w:st="on">Arafat</st1:placename></st1:place>, a sea of pilgrims
began converging on the region.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Adnan
Terkawi, from <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Syria</st1:country>, had
thoughts for peace throughout the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"I
supplicate to God for calm in all Arab and Muslim countries, and in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country> in
particular. I hope that <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country>
will return to normal as a safe and secure country," he confided.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Other
pilgrims were basking in the significance of the Hajj, which is one of the
pillars of Islam and is considered the ultimate act of worship for Muslims.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Sahar
Hanafi, from <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country>,
has been planning this trip for years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"I
have been hoping to come [to Hajj] for five years," she said. "I cry
when I see the pilgrims on television. At long last I'm here, I feel that the
wordly life in nothing." she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Others
shared Sahar's excitement for making the Hajj pilgrimage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"This
is the big day in my life and I feel too much holy and too much happy.  We don't have feeling to express this, how
much I feel," said Mohammad Makbul, a Pakistani pilgrim.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Amneh
Shamari, a young pilgrim from <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country>,
is also very excited.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Today
is the climax of the great Hajj, the best day," she said.   <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Muslims
are expected to make at least one visit to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mecca</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
Hajj observance is in the midst of a five day run, which began on Wednesday. ---VOA
News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

Hajj Pilgrims Reflect on Regional Conflicts

Thousands of Muslim have been arriving in the Saudi city of Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. As the sun rose over Mount Ar...

Haj 2011 Operations

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Union Cabinet today approved the following for the Haj 2011 Operations: <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">i)<span>        </span>Number of Haj Pilgrims to be covered under the Government subsidy scheme for Haj 2011 to be facilited by the Haj Committee of India is 1,25,000. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">ii)<span>       </span>Fare to be charged from each of the pilgrims for Haj 2011 is Rs.16,000. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">iii)<span>      </span>Haj flights would be operated from 21 embarkation points during Haj 2011. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">iv)<span>      </span>Ex-post facto approval has been given for increasing the number of pilgrims to 1, 26,191 for Haj 2010. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Ministry of Civil Aviation is entrusted with the responsibility of making air travel arrangements for Haj pilgrims proceeding for Haj through the Haj Committee of India. For Haj 2011, Ministry of Civil Aviation has selected the airlines for undertaking Haj Charter flights through sealed tender process. Since only designated airlines of <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) are permitted to carry Haj pilgrims from <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Saudi  Arabia</st1:country-region>, the designated airlines of both the countries were issued the tender notice, Saudi Arabian Airlines and National Air Services (NAS), the two designated airlines of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Saudi Arabia</st1:place></st1:country-region> emerged L1 for 13 and 8 embarkation points respectively. MoUs have been signed with these airlines for carrying the Haj Pilgrims. The pilgrims would be carried from <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> to Jeddah/Madina during 29.9.2011 and 31.10.2011 and from Jeddah/Madina to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> during 10.11.2011 and 10.12.2011. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The number of Haj pilgrims going through the Haj Committee of India is decided by the Ministry of External Affairs which is the nodal Ministry for Haj matters. The cost of air travel of pilgrims undertaking Haj through Haj Committee of India is borne partly by the pilgrims and partly subsidized by the Government of India. The cost/fare to be charged from pilgrims is decided by the Cabinet and collected by the Haj Committee of India and paid to the Government/airlines and the balance cost is borne by the Government, for which a budgetary provision is made in the annual budget of Ministry of Civil Aviation. The number of pilgrims to be covered under this scheme and the number of embarkation points in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> from which these pilgrims would board the flights is also decided by the Cabinet every year. ---PIB<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Haj 2011 Operations

The Union Cabinet today approved the following for the Haj 2011 Operations: i) Number of Haj Pilgrims to be covered under the Gove...