We are making preparations so that when whatever decision is made later regarding the pilgrimage, we all will be ready to carry it out, whether it (Hajj) is carried out in full, limited (quota), or not at allJakarta (ANTARA) - It is hoped that by February 2022, there would be clarity from the Saudi Arabian government on the implementation of Hajj for 1443 Hijri / 2022 AD, Minister of Religious Affairs, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, has said.
“Regarding the target, we target that hopefully in February, there will be clarity (regarding Hajj),” he said during a working meeting with Commission VIII of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) here on Monday.
Qoumas informed that so far, there has been no certainty from the Saudi authorities regarding the implementation of Hajj in 2022. The departure of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims has been delayed for two years due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, he noted.
While waiting for confirmation, the Ministry of Religious Affairs will continue to prepare for the departure of prospective Indonesian Hajj pilgrims under three scenarios: Saudi Arabia granting full quota, limited quota, or there being no departure at all, he informed.
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"We are making preparations so that when whatever decision is made later regarding the pilgrimage, we all will be ready to carry it out, whether it (Hajj) is carried out in full, limited (quota), or not at all," the minister explained.
Meanwhile, secretary-general of the Health Ministry, Kunta Wibawa Dasa Nugraha, affirmed that the ministry has prepared various scenarios for the pilgrimage, in terms of the health of prospective Hajj pilgrims, the infrastructure in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, as well as technical matters related to the pandemic.
Especially for technical matters related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Health Ministry has prepared a health campaign for COVID-19 prevention by coordinating with the Health Office in the regions, he said.
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The ministry has also prepared the mechanism for PCR testing and health protocols guidelines for both pilgrims and officers, he added.
"Lastly, the preparation of contingency plans and operational plans for the Arafat, Muzdalifah, and Mina (Armuzna) phases. In general, those are all that we have prepared, including several things in terms of applications, infrastructure, health, and others," the secretary-general informed.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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