Middle East Politics.Net » Hajj http://middleeastpolitics.net Facts, News, Trends, Analysis Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:56:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Indonesian Religious Affairs Minister in Saudi Arabia for Hajj http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/03/pilgrimage-leader-religious-affairs-minister-comes-to-saudi-arabia/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/03/pilgrimage-leader-religious-affairs-minister-comes-to-saudi-arabia/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:07:10 +0000 Holly MacGillivray http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=3347 Indonesian Religious Affairs Minister, Maftuh Basyuni, came to Jeddah on Monday evening as the leader of the Indonesian Hajj pilgrimage this year.  He is making this trip with a number of people from the Religious Affairs Ministry and members of the Regional Representatives Council. Indonesia is known to have one of the largest Muslim populations in the world, so they represent a large number of the people who travel every year to Mecca on the pilgrimage.  The Religious Affairs Ministry has estimated that about 208,928 people will make the Hajj pilgrimage from Indonesia to Mecca this year.  These pilgrims are expected to gather in the next week and will celebrate the 3-day holiday of Eid al-Adha (the Festival of Sacrifice) on December 8th.

Holly MacGillivray

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/03/pilgrimage-leader-religious-affairs-minister-comes-to-saudi-arabia/feed/ 0 Hamas and Egypt in Hajj Visa Row http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/02/hamas-and-egypt-in-hajj-visa-row/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/02/hamas-and-egypt-in-hajj-visa-row/#comments Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:29:02 +0000 aljoaan http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=3273 The Hamas authorities in control of the Gaza Strip have threatened to prevent Muslim pilgrims leaving Gaza to attend the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, unless a dispute over visas is resolved. According to the BBC, Egypt has said it will only allow pilgrims to enter its territory from Gaza, if their Saudi visa applications are submitted through the Palestinian Authority.

Since Hamas took over Gaza by force last year, the Palestinian Authority’s remit runs only in the parts of the West Bank controlled by the PA. Hamas says it has submitted its own lists of pilgrims to the Saudi authorities for visa approval but Egypt has refused to recognize them.

Ahmad Aljoaan

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/02/hamas-and-egypt-in-hajj-visa-row/feed/ 0 Hamas Blocks Pilgrims from Performing Hajj http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/01/hamas-blocks-pilgrims-from-performing-hajj/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/01/hamas-blocks-pilgrims-from-performing-hajj/#comments Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:47:17 +0000 yerxa http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=3140 Hamas has blocked thousands of Pilgrims from making the trip to Mecca “in the latest twist of the territory’s internal political divisions.”

Pilgrims were turned back from the Rafah border by Hamas forces, and some even claimed they were beaten in their attempts to make the Hajj. Egyptian officials have reported that the border has been open for several days in order for pilgrims to pass, placing the responsibility on the shoulders of Hamas.

Pilgrims who applied for visas through Hamas were rejected, bringing into question “Saudi Arabia’s recognition of the Hamas government structure in Gaza as legitimate.”

With Gaza residents already suffering under the strain of closed borders and blockades, Hamas’s mismanagement of the situation could result in resentment against the group. With Abbas, Fatah and the Palestinian Authority attempting to consolidate power, Hamas will need to handle this situation as delicately as possible.

Gavin Yerxa

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/01/hamas-blocks-pilgrims-from-performing-hajj/feed/ 0 First Batch of Pilgrims Arrive in The Kingdom http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/10/first-batch-of-pilgrims-arrive-in-the-kingdom/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/10/first-batch-of-pilgrims-arrive-in-the-kingdom/#comments Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:04:38 +0000 boyunliu http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=2220 This Day, an African Online News Source reported that the first 500 of Nigerian pilgrims arrived at the Jeddah International Airport on Thursday. The pilgrims were received by Alhaj Liad Tella of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.

About 95,000 pilgrims are expected to participate in this year’s Hajj from Nigeria alone. For Saudi Arabia, this is one of the largest tasks its vast bureaucracy is charged with. At the same time, Saudi Arabia is in a special position to build relationships with nations of the Islamic world as the Kingdom is home to the two most holy cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina.

Bo-yun Liu

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/10/first-batch-of-pilgrims-arrive-in-the-kingdom/feed/ 0