MOHAMMED RASOOLDEEN
COLOMBO: Sequel to a representation made by the minister of environment Hafiz Naseer Ahamed to the minister of Buddhism, religious and cultural affairs, Vidura Wickremanayake, the government has agreed to allow Hajj pilgrims despite the current economic crisis.
Speaking to Colombo Times, Ibrahim Sahib Ansar,di rector of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs said that the minister in charge of Hajj matters, Wickremanayaka has agreed to allow the pilgrims to perform their Hajj provided they pay the necessary funds in the foreign currency.
Those interested have been asked to make the necessary applications to the department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs on or before June 10,Friday.The facility and services are also open to Lankan migrant workers who can perform the pilgrimage channeling through Colombo.
Minister Ahmed met with Minister Wickremanayake on Tuesday at the parliament premises withparliamentarianss.Ishak Ur Rahman, Faiz Cassim,Cader Mastan, Moshareff Mutaibeen, Joint presidents of Hajj Travel Operators Associaton,Rizmy Riyal and Hisham Ghouse.
Muslims make up almost 10 percent of Sri Lanka’s population of 22 million, which is predominantly Buddhists.
This year, 1,585 Sri Lankans were expected to perform Hajj after Saudi Arabia announced last month that it would allow 1 million foreign and domestic Muslims to travel to the holy city of Makkah in the pilgrimage season.
The Hajj, one of Islam’s five main pillars of faith, was restricted to just 1,000 domestic visitors in 2020. Last year, the Kingdom limited the pilgrimage to 60,000 domestic participants, compared with the pre-pandemic 2.5 million.
But even with Sri Lanka’s reduced pilgrim quota this year, the cost of sending worshippers to the Kingdom is too high for the country to bear.
Sri Lanka’s economy is in dire straits. Earlier this month, the finance ministry estimated its usable foreign reserves at less than $50 million. The country has already defaulted on its debts after missing a deadline for foreign debt repayments.
