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Quota allocated to Azerbaijan for Hajj pilgrimage reduced by four thousand people - UPDATED

Quota allocated to Azerbaijan for Hajj pilgrimage reduced by four thousand people - <font color=red> UPDATED</font>

14 July 2009 11:58 (UTC +04:00)

Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office Sheikh-al-Islam Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh informed about it at the press conference. 300 pilgrims will travel by buses and 1700 by planes. He said some of the pilgrims were not ready spiritually for Hajj pilgrimage or doing it not correctly. â€œWe organized courses for them, but they donâ€™t take an interest. We held consultations with the government and decided to take 2 000 pilgrims to Hajj every year within our potential. This figure will not be changed. The prices will remain steady and pilgrimsâ€™ documents will be received. After that the quota is filled other persons will make pilgrimage next year. This experience is used in many countriesâ€.

Pashazadeh said 5500 people made Hajj pilgrimage last year despite that Azerbaijan had a real potential for 3 000 people. Further the Hajj pilgrimage will be organized only by the Caucasian Muslims Office. No companies will be allowed to organize the pilgrimage. Last year our private companies were fined 30-40 thousand AZN for thatâ€.

Pashazadeh said there was no official decision about the cancel of Hajj pilgrimage because of A/H1N1 virus spread in the world. â€œIf there is an official decision by Saudi Arabia, it will be reviewed. The pilgrims will receive anti-virus injection before the Hajj. The virus threat has also an impact on the reducing of quotaâ€.