Jakarta, NU Online
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, Ambassador Ibrahim Mustofa Al Mubarak said here on Thursday.<>

"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," said the ambassador during a press conference as quoted by Antara news agency.

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.

He said that the religious affairs ministry would assure the departure in 2014 of would-be hajj pilgrims who were affected by the Saudi policy and could not go to the Holy Land this year. If next year, there is an increase in hajj pilgrimage cost, they would not be charged with the difference.

"The minister of religious affairs will make diplomatic efforts and discuss it with the Saudi government immediately, particularly with the Saudi minister for hajj affairs and with other relevant parties. We will also ask for dispensation," Suryadarma said.

The Saudi government`s policy to cut the hajj quota was contained in the Saudi religious minister`s letter on June 6, 2013 which said that the quota was cut because there was a delay in the completion of the rehabilitation of the Haram Mosque. It was cut to ensure the safety of hajj pilgrims.

The minister said that the Saudi government cut not only the quota of Indonesia but also of all countries which sent hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. The quota of respective countries was cut by 20 percent from the basic quota as agreed by member countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

"The delay in the completion of the rehabilitation of the Haram Mosque reduced the mosque`s accommodating capacity for the tawaf (encircling the cubical shrine) ritual. It could initially accommodate some 48,000 pilgrims for the tawaf ritual per hour. With the delay, the accommodating capacity dropped to 22,000 pilgrims only," he said.

The minister said that the reduction in the quota of hajj pilgrims would be done proportionally for all provinces in the country. But the ministry hopes that younger ones would give the chance to aging would-be pilgrims.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq