کد خبر: ۱۲۹۸۸۹۸

تاریخ: ۱۴ مهر ۱۳۹۲ - ۱۰:۳۸

Tunisians Journey to Makkah for Hajj

Since last Tuesday, Tunisians have been travelling to Saudi Arabia to conduct the spiritual journey of the Hajj.

Tunisians will join other Muslims from all over the world to perform sacred pilgrimage rituals.

Saudi Arabia sets quotas every year to control the number of pilgrims traveling to the country, and this year Tunisia’s ratio has been reduced. Normally, 10,300 Tunisia pilgrims are able to attend, but this year it was reduced to 8,300 because of construction work carried out to the expand Masjid al-Haram mosque in Makkah, Akrem Wertani, an official with the Hajj and Umra Service at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, told Tunisia Live.

Hajj is only mandatory for able-bodied Muslims who can afford the costly journey.

In Tunisia, the state regulates its citizens’ participation in the Hajj. Every year, Hajj expenses are standardized and set by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. For 2013, it costs 7,475 dinars (approximately $5,000).

This is a significant investment for many Tunisians. Saving up to afford the pilgrimage, however, is not enough, as Tunisian Muslims have to linger in an official waiting list. The wait can exceed six years.

“The moment you hear that you were selected you are filled with joy,” said Chafika Boulahya, who first performed her Hajj duties when in her late forties. She returned last year for a second pilgrimage.

After being selected, the Ministry of Religious Affairs offers future pilgrims lessons before heading to Hajj and guides in Saudi Arabia once there. Tunisians attend local mosques to learn about the rituals they will perform and how they will be expected to behave.

The government is adamant that Tunisians should travel to Hajj only through officially sanctioned means.

“Hajj is only regulated by the state,” Wertani of the Ministry of Religious Affairs said.

Some Tunisians, however, opt for private travel agencies, which are unlicensed, illegal, and more expensive, but may allow them to circumvent the official waiting list.

Turning to unlicensed agencies, however, can lead people to fall for scams.

This year, for example, 53 Tunisians were victims of fraud by three individuals who provided them with counterfeit Hajj visas issued from the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Gambia, state-owned news agency TAP reported on Thursday.

Source: Tunisia-live.net