HAJJ PROBLEMS

Due to an initiative by Saudi Arabian authorities to shift Hajj preparation services online, many Muslims from Western countries lost the opportunity to perform the pilgrimage to the most sacred site in Islam.

Sajida Anwar, with bags full of appropriate clothing and fragrance-free hygiene products, was ready for her pilgrimage. Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, mandatory for all Muslims who are able to perform it. The other pillars of Islam include belief in Allah and Muhammad as His Prophet, five daily prayers, and charity.

"I was mentally and physically prepared to fulfill the fifth and final pillar of Islam," said Sajida Anwar. She had physically trained for the pilgrimage to ensure she could endure the challenging journey. She also attended Hajj preparation courses and purchased everything necessary for the trip.

Anwar was a project manager at a real estate and investment company in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, and had traveled the world. She spent much time in Australia's Blue Mountains and explored all of Tasmania, but she had not yet visited the one place she truly longed to go.

"I had been saving money for years and was waiting for the time when my uncle could accompany me," said the 48-year-old woman. In 2020, her uncle said he was ready to go on Hajj with her and his wife. "Their children had grown up, and they decided to perform the Hajj," Anwar explained.

The COVID-19 Pandemic

The restrictions related to COVID-19 meant that Saudi Arabia only allowed those already in the country to perform the Hajj. Anwar and her family waited for these restrictions to be lifted so they could make their pilgrimage.

In 2019, before the pandemic began, 2.5 million Muslims traveled to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj. That year, the Hajj and Umrah contributed $12 billion to Saudi Arabia's economy. In April of this year, Saudi Arabia announced that Muslims from other countries would once again be allowed to perform the pilgrimage.

"After Ramadan, in May, right after Saudi Arabia made this announcement, an agent handling our pilgrimage arrangements contacted my uncle. We confirmed that we wanted to go on Hajj, and after paying a deposit, we waited for further instructions from the agency," she said.

Last-Minute Changes

On June 6, exactly one month before Hajj was set to begin, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj canceled the option to perform Hajj through intermediaries. Travel agencies in Europe, North America, and Australia were no longer granted permission to organize Hajj for pilgrims. Instead, authorities launched an online registration system for pilgrims from Western countries, known as "Motawif." This system worked like a lottery, informing pilgrims whether they could travel to the holy lands or not. On June 10, when the agent learned about this system, he refunded Anwar's money. Some pilgrims were less fortunate and are still trying to recover their funds from the agencies.

"We had to get our money back so we could apply through the online portal," said a woman using the pseudonym Samira Hasan, a resident of New Jersey, USA. She had signed up for a group Hajj organized by a local imam. She hoped to make the pilgrimage with her sister, older brother, and parents. In April, the agent who was supposed to organize their Hajj requested $13,600 per person. A month later, the cost of Hajj increased to $21,000.

"In such circumstances, my father couldn't afford his pilgrimage... My sister and I helped our mother pay for her trip," Hasan said. She added, "Before the person responsible for organizing our Hajj received permission, we were preparing for the pilgrimage, but afterward, we had to use the portal." So, she and her family applied online.

"This process was very stressful. The registration started suddenly, and the system had issues," said the 25-year-old designer.

"The site faced problems due to overload in the first minutes after launch. Additionally, there were limited options on the site, such as entering COVID-19 vaccination information before July 2021. So we uploaded photos of our documents and added the day of the Eid al-Adha holiday," Hasan explained.

Anwar, who has experience in IT, said, "The Saudi authorities likely knew how many pilgrims from countries where this system is in place would apply. However, the portal seems to have been inadequately tested before launch, leading to these issues."

Pilgrims who wanted to go on Hajj but encountered problems with payment services requested the return of the previous system.

Call for the Return of the Old System

Since the introduction of the new system, a request has been made to bring back the old one. Mohsin Shah, the owner of a travel agency that handled 80% of Hajj and Umrah arrangements, said from Manchester, UK, that the change negatively impacted his business. However, he added, "When one door closes, a hundred others open."

On June 21, "Motawif" issued a statement acknowledging awareness of payment issues and order confirmations. However, some pilgrims who registered through this system arrived at the airport at the appointed time, only to find that there were no flights to Saudi Arabia. Those who did make it to Saudi Arabia either couldn't find available hotel rooms or were placed in rooms with unfamiliar pilgrims.

"The Ministry of Hajj has put people under stress. With the rising cost of living, spending such money on a trip may seem unreasonable. But you will still make this journey because it is a spiritual pilgrimage to the roots of Islam. We grew up with stories about the prophets connected to this land. This was an opportunity I couldn't take advantage of," said Anwar.

This article is based on a publication by Al Jazeera.