Hope dwindling for pilgrims looking to go on Hajj pilgrimage via SBT
| DATE: 2009-11-07 | PRINT | SHARE
Only two more or so weeks remain before Hajj pilgrimage is due to begin, and those who have paid SBT Group to make arrangements for their pilgrimage have no idea when they are scheduled to leave for Mecca or even whether they will be able to do so. A group of pilgrims had even gathered near the SBG Group office last Wednesday in a show of protest over the issue.
“We came to Malé because there was a meeting with the pilgrims scheduled for the night of 4th November,” one of the pilgrims who had made his payment to SBT Group said. “The Group said that those who did not attend the meeting would not be able to go on Hajj, and that the pilgrims would begin leaving for Mecca on the 8th. However, when we arrived in Malé we found that the meeting had been cancelled, and that the departure had been delayed to 16th. We don’t know what is happening. We aren’t even sure if we will be able to leave on the 16th.”
Another man who had also made his payments to SBT Group said that the Group had told him that there was a delay in the arrangements because there had been some problems with getting the quota for Hajj pilgrims approved. SBT Group had collected payments at the rate of Rf62,000 from the people, several days before their quota for sending pilgrims to Hajj was approved. Due to the efforts of the Islamic Affairs Ministry, the Saudi Government had agreed to increase the quota of Hajj pilgrims from Maldives by 500, and 200 of that had been given to SBT Group on 25th October.
A senior official from the SBT Group said that it was confirmed that the pilgrims will depart for their holy pilgrimage on 16th of this month.
Ahmadulla Jameel, the Assistant Director of the Islamic Affairs Ministry, said that the SBT Group had verbally informed the Ministry that their pilgrims would be departing for Mecca on 8th November but that he had not been notified that the scheduled date had changed.
“At the meeting held to distribute quotas, they even informed us that they would be travelling via the Jordan route,” Jameel said. “They haven’t informed us of any changes to their schedule.”
| DATE: 2009-11-07 | PRINT | SHARE
Only two more or so weeks remain before Hajj pilgrimage is due to begin, and those who have paid SBT Group to make arrangements for their pilgrimage have no idea when they are scheduled to leave for Mecca or even whether they will be able to do so. A group of pilgrims had even gathered near the SBG Group office last Wednesday in a show of protest over the issue.
“We came to Malé because there was a meeting with the pilgrims scheduled for the night of 4th November,” one of the pilgrims who had made his payment to SBT Group said. “The Group said that those who did not attend the meeting would not be able to go on Hajj, and that the pilgrims would begin leaving for Mecca on the 8th. However, when we arrived in Malé we found that the meeting had been cancelled, and that the departure had been delayed to 16th. We don’t know what is happening. We aren’t even sure if we will be able to leave on the 16th.”
Another man who had also made his payments to SBT Group said that the Group had told him that there was a delay in the arrangements because there had been some problems with getting the quota for Hajj pilgrims approved. SBT Group had collected payments at the rate of Rf62,000 from the people, several days before their quota for sending pilgrims to Hajj was approved. Due to the efforts of the Islamic Affairs Ministry, the Saudi Government had agreed to increase the quota of Hajj pilgrims from Maldives by 500, and 200 of that had been given to SBT Group on 25th October.
A senior official from the SBT Group said that it was confirmed that the pilgrims will depart for their holy pilgrimage on 16th of this month.
Ahmadulla Jameel, the Assistant Director of the Islamic Affairs Ministry, said that the SBT Group had verbally informed the Ministry that their pilgrims would be departing for Mecca on 8th November but that he had not been notified that the scheduled date had changed.
“At the meeting held to distribute quotas, they even informed us that they would be travelling via the Jordan route,” Jameel said. “They haven’t informed us of any changes to their schedule.”
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