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Flu confusion over hajj

Saudi govt yet to clarify decision on barring elders, children, people with chronic illness from hajj

Porimol Palma
Confusion mounts among the hajj pilgrims and agencies, as Saudi Arabia has not yet clarified Arab health ministers' decision to restrict the elders and children to travel to the holy land in fearofaspreadofHINl virus.
The Arab health ministers in an emergency meeting in Egypt late July this year unanimously agreed that people above the age of 65, children under 12 and those with chronic illnesses should be excluded from undertaking the pilgrimage to Makkah to be held in late November.
The decision, however, will .have yet to be approved by Saudi Arabia. The hajj pilgrims, meanwhile, submitted money to the hajj agencies and completed all Lite documentation process.
"Yes, 1 heard of the age bar, but not sure exactly what is going to happen. My son said the Saudi government 'may' consider the issue for tliis year," said Abu Naser, 67 who has submitted money and completed ail the procedures to perform hajj.
Abu Naser, a resident of Mirpur, told The
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Daily Star yesterday that the Saudi government should consider the issue for this year. Like Naser, many Hajj candidates have already prepared themselves to perform the pilgrimage.
"We are concerned over the issue and already communicated the Saudi government, but we are yet to get any clarifi -cation," said MA Rashid Shah Shamrat, secretary general of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (Haab).
According to the Haab, a total of around 60,000 people are scheduled to perform hajj this year.
Shamrat said around 50 per cent of those preparing for hajj will not be able to perform the annual pilgrimage if Saudi Arabia approves Arab health ministers' decision.
"Around 363 under 12 years of age people will miss the ritual this year if they are not allowed to go," he said adding, "And then their guardians won't go too."
Moreover, all the hajj pilgrims had submitted the money to the authorities concerned in Saudi for house rent and food, and other necessary fees through agencies, he said. Haab's fee this year was fixed at Tk 2.25 lakh.
"We will face trouble if Saudi Arabia does not allow the people above 65 and below 12 to attend hajj, as it will be almost impossible to get their money back," Shamrat said.
He opined that the Saudi government could set strict rules for medication and health cautionary measures for the pilgrims, as there are already vaccine and treat-
ments for H1N1 flu virus.
Meanwhile, an official at the Ministry of Religious Affairs said the ministry told the Saudi government that the people of Bangladesh usually perform hajj after retirement from their job. A good number of above 65-year-old people try to attend the holy duty every year.
"This is a sensitive issue and we can't just ask them to stop performing hajj," said the official.
Asked about how the money deposited in Saudi will be withdrawn if the authorities restrict travel of the elderly and children, he replied, "It will be a delicate issue. But we hope that Saudi government will allow all, but ensure strict health measures."
Meanwhile, Egypt decided to reduce the number of hajj pilgrims by 40 per cent this year as precaution against the spread of the swine flu, according to the Arab News.
Until September 3, Saudi Arabia has so far reported 23 swine Qu deaths.