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01.12.2015 General News

Disquiet Over Hajj Regulation

By Daily Guide
Disquiet Over Hajj Regulation
01.12.2015 LISTEN

Many Muslims especially the Office of the National Chief Imam are not enthused about the proposed state regulation of the Hajj and its placement under the Tourism Ministry through an appropriate legislation.

Unknown to most Muslims, there is an ongoing effort by government to regulate the annual Hajj about which those in the know are opposed to.

A critical stakeholders meeting on the issue is scheduled for tomorrow at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).

A top man in the Office of the National Chief Imam who prefers anonymity and whose view is shared by most members of the Islamic faith who have followed the development, told DAILY GUIDE 'there is going to be a stakeholders meeting over the subject at the Accra International Conference Centre tomorrow, an exercise which is largely on the blind side of most Muslims.'

The anonymous person said Muslims are not averse to a regulation but are in opposition to the attempt to place Hajj affairs under the Tourism Ministry. Doing this would be reducing what is completely a religious affair, one of the pillars of Islam which requires all Muslims to perform it once in their lifetime, he said. 'To regard it as a tourist exercise, a leisure trip is to reduce the importance of a tenet of a religion which is why we oppose the government move' he said.

The input of Muslims from Flagstaff House, he observed, would play a crucial part in the meeting; something which he said sounds a bit unusual especially since it has the potential of drowning opposing views to government's.

A document containing valuable proposals was sent to government earlier but this has not elicited any response to us as he puts it, 'to determine whether the recipient found it worthy of considering.'

Hajj management has over the years been a thorny affair because as a religious matter no government wants to be seen to be toying or even trivializing it.

Government intervention through injection of funds to keep it afloat has been usual by successive administrations.

The past few years has though witnessed a relatively stabilized management of the annual exercise.

Although Christians go to Jerusalem this is by no means a religious exercise being largely as the anonymous persons said 'a tourist venture', because he continued 'it is not a requirement of the Christian faith.'

By A.R. Gomda

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