People in Aceh should wait 11 years for hajj

Banda Aceh, NU Online
Muslims in Aceh province should wait 11 years to perform Hajj pilgrimage because the number of would-be Hajj pilgrims in the waiting list has reached 46,468 people, the provincial religious affairs office spokesman said.

"Aceh's people who wish to perform the Hajj need to wait until 11 years," head of the provincial religious affairs office, Ibnu Sa'dan said here on Tuesday as quoted by Antara news agency.

Ibnu Sa`dan made the statement relating to the increasing number of the would-be hajj pilgrims in the waiting list.

According to him the central government set the would-be hajj pilgrims quota for Aceh province at as many as 3.924 people or around one percent of the provincial total population.

The number of would-be hajj pilgrims in the waiting list will continue to rise if the provincial quota is not increased.

Ibnu Sa'dan expressed a hope that the central government will raise the quota for the 2012 hajj season in Aceh province that has 4,6 million people.

In addition, the provincial religious affairs office will restrict the number of those who have performed the Hajj pilgrimage from participating again in the pilgrimage.

"This is made as an effort to reduce the people in the waiting list," he said, adding in 2011 Aceh province sent 4,803 would-be hajj pilgrims in 14 batches.

All of them were flown from Sultan Iskandar Muda international airport in Blang Bintang sub-district of Aceh Besar district, Ibnu Sa`dan added. (dar)