Indonesia has not sent pilgrims for two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The queues are getting longer, because every day the registration of new pilgrims continues to be opened. Jusuf Kalla as Chairman of the Honorary Council of the Indonesian Hajj Brotherhood Association (IPHI) hopes that next year he will be able to send pilgrims again.
The man who is familiarly called JK admitted that organizing the Hajj in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic was not easy. Because there are a number of health protocols (prokes) that the congregation must obey. In addition, sending pilgrims involves many people, so it has the potential to trigger a crowd. Berita Terkini
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JK said that with the absence of sending pilgrims in the last two periods, the queues were getting longer.
“Therefore, we really hope that starting next year, the implementation of the pilgrimage can return to normal,” he said yesterday (7/11).
The 10th and 12th Vice Presidents of Indonesia acknowledged that the interest of Muslims in Indonesia to carry out the pilgrimage was very high. The quota that Indonesia gets every year is 221,000 people. With this limited quota, the Hajj queue before the pandemic was long enough. Then coupled with the absence of sending pilgrims in 2020 and 2021, the queues are getting longer. Berita Politik
JK said the average Hajj queue in Indonesia is around 30 years. “In Java, the average wait is 20 years. But in Sulawesi up to 40 years of waiting,” he said. He also conveyed this information at the inauguration of IPHI management in Jakarta.
Especially for NTB, based on data on estimated departures for Hajj from the Ministry of Religion, the estimated departure if registering today is another 35 years. In total, until yesterday, 149,025 people had registered for Hajj and received a portion number.
With that long line, people in Sulawesi when they register for hajj at the age of 20 will depart when they are 60 years old. The length of the queue can be reduced when there is an increase in the quota of pilgrims given by Saudi Arabia to Indonesia. Berita Hari ini
“I hope the hajj quota (as a whole, ed) can increase by four to five million every year,” he explained.
JK said that the facilities for organizing Hajj in Makkah are currently getting better. Including the capacity of the Grand Mosque which continues to be expanded. With the addition of the quota of pilgrims as a whole, it is expected to reduce queues in Indonesia.
In general, JK said that the implementation of the hajj pilgrimage is getting better every year. Starting from the services provided by the Indonesian government and by Saudi Arabia. When the hajj re-opens in the midst of a pandemic, he stressed that the safety of pilgrims must be prioritized. Finance Solutions
For that requires careful preparation. Among them is knowledge for all prospective pilgrims. So that worshipers can remain safe in carrying out worship in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. He hopes that IPHI at all levels can participate in educating prospective pilgrims. Not only convey the experiences of the Hajj that has been done.