Jakarta, The Indonesia Post – Chairman of the Honorary Council of the Indonesian Hajj Brotherhood Association (IPHI) Jusuf Kalla hopes that the implementation of the pilgrimage can return to normal and pilgrims from Indonesia can perform the pilgrimage.
“I really hope that starting next year the Hajj pilgrimage can return to normal,” said Jusuf Kalla while attending the inauguration of the IPHI Central Committee for the period 2021-2026 at the Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory, East Jakarta, Saturday.
The 10th and 12th vice presidents of the Republic of Indonesia said that the implementation of the hajj pilgrimage in 2020 and 2021 would not run as usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
“Riding the hajj in these years is not as easy as before, the quota is also limited due to the pandemic,” he said.
In addition, the policies in Saudi Arabia also have an impact on the number of quotas of prospective pilgrims from Indonesia who are on a waiting list with an average length of 30 years.
JK said that in Java, the average wait is 20 years. However, in Sulawesi up to 40 years of waiting.
“So, if you register at the age of 20, you will perform Hajj after you are 60,” said the chairman of the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI).
He said that the interest of the Indonesian people to carry out the pilgrimage was still very high. Every year about 200,000 Indonesians become new registrants to carry out the fifth pillar of Islam.
Therefore, JK hopes that the hajj quota for Indonesia can increase by four to five million every year so that the number of waiting lists from Indonesia can be reduced.
“There are four conditions for the pilgrimage, namely faith, finances, health, and finally a quota. Even though the first three conditions are met but the quota is full, you still cannot go on the pilgrimage,” he said.
Therefore, JK hopes that the newly inaugurated IPHI management can carry out their duties to share knowledge related to the implementation of the Hajj pilgrimage to the congregation.
“Of course we hope that IPHI can carry out its duties to provide its experience and knowledge to prospective Hajj pilgrims so that pilgrims can become Mabrur Hajj,” he said. (rma/ril)
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