Haji, Pemerintah Arab Saudi Tetap Kurangi Kuota Global
Saudi Arabia Gov`t Keep to Reduce Global Hajj Quota
Reporter : Rizki Saleh
Editor : Cahyani Harzi
Translator : Dhelia Gani
Jakarta (B2B) - Pemerintah Arab Saudi bersikukuh pada keputusannya untuk mengurangi kuota haji 20% untuk masing-masing negara selama berlangsungnya renovasi perluasan Masjid Haram di Mekkah.
"Langkah itu untuk kenyamanan jamaah haji. Konstruksi masih berlangsung. Sebelum dimulai konstruksi, Majidil Haram menerima 48.000 jamaah per jam. Dengan konstruksi yang sedang berlangsung, saat ini kami hanya dapat menerima 20.000 jemaah haji per jam," kata Duta Besar Arab Saudi, Ibrahim Mustofa Al Mubarak mengatakan di Jakarta, Kamis (27/6).
Dia menjelaskan setelah perluasan Masjidil Haram selesai, tempat suci bagi Muslim di seluruh dunia dapat menerima hingga 105.000 orang per jam.
Selain mengurangi kuota haji global, pemerintah Arab Saudi juga memberlakukan pengurangan haji bagi masyarakat lokal dan asing yang tinggal di Arab Saudi hingga 50%.
Dubes mengatakan pengurangan kuota haji adalah tindakan segera yang diambil oleh pemerintah Arab Saudi untuk menghindari manusia yang terinjak selama proses haji di Masjidil Haram.
"Dengan meningkatnya jumlah jamaah haji setiap tahun, kami merasa perlu untuk memperluas kawasan Masjidil Haram untuk kenyamanan para jemaah haji sendiri," tambah Dubes.
Menteri Agama Suryadarma Ali sebelumnya mengatakan pemerintah Saudi telah memotong kuota haji Indonesia tahun ini sebesar 20% atau 42.200 jamaah dari 211.000 menjadi 168.000 jamaah.
"Kami menyerukan kepada 180.000 calon jemaah haji yang mestinya berangkat ke Tanah Suci tahun ini untuk sabar menunggu kebijakan yang akan dikeluarkan oleh Departemen Agama setelah mengadakan pertemuan dengan pemerintah Arab Saudi. Kami berharap calon jamaah haji akan memberi kami waktu," katanya baru-baru ini.
Jakarta (B2B) - The Saudi Arabian government defends its decision to reduce hajj quota for 20 percent for each countries during the ongoing construction for the extension of Haram Mosque in Mecca.
"It is for the comfort of the hajj pilgrims. The construction is still ongoing. Before construction starts, the Majidil Haram received 48,000 pilgrims per hour. With the construction going on, currently we can only receive 20,000 hajj pilgrims per hour," Ambassador Ibrahim Mustofa Al Mubarak said here on Thursday.
He explained once the extension of Masjidil Haram project is done, the holy place for muslim all over the world can receive up o 105,000 people per hour.
Apart from reducing global hajj quota, the Saudi Arabian government also imposes reduction of hajj pilgrims for local people and foreigners living in Saudi Arabia for 50 percent.
The ambassador said reduction of hajj quota is a precautios action taken by the Saudi Arabian government to avoid stampede during hajj process inside Masjidil Haram. "With the rising number of hajj pilgrims every year, we feel the need to expand Masjidil Haram area for the comfort of the pilgrims themselves," the ambassador added.
Earlier Religious Minister Suryadarma Ali said the Saudi government has cut Indonesia`s hajj pilgrimage quota this year by 20 percent or 42,200 pilgrims from 211,000 to 168,000 pilgrims.
"We call on the 180,000 would-be hajj pilgrims who have got their turn to go to the Holy Land this year to patiently wait for policies to be issued by the Religious Affairs Ministry after it holds a meeting with the Saudi Arabian government. We hope would-be pilgrims would give us time," the minister said recently.