Hajj: Anbariyya Sunni Appeals to JAK

The head of the Anbariyya Sunni Community in Ghana, Sheikh Saeed Abubakr Zaakaria has appealed to President J.A. Kufour to personally intervene and use his executive powers to ensure that prospective pilgrims go for this year's hajj.

In a press statement issued in Tamale, Sheikh Zaakaria called for an investigation into the circumstances that has led to this year and last year's hajj fiascos and the report must be made public.

He said it was an indictment on the part of the Interim Hajj Management Committee not to have learnt from the mistakes they committed last year that left over 400 would-be pilgrims stranded in Ghana.

Hajj is one of the five fundamental pillars of Islam and it is the wish of every Muslim to go on this pilgrimage, at least once in his or her lifetime and it would be a terrible disappointment if the dreams of these would-be pilgrims are not fulfilled due to the negligence of some other people.

"The president should therefore consider the situation as a national crisis and personally take charge to ensure that all the 2700 prospective pilgrims make it to this year's hajj," Sheikh Zaakaria said.

By the 15th of this month, the Jeddah airport will be closed to all flights, meaning that if the stranded pilgrims do not leave Ghana before Friday that will be the end of their pilgrimage dreams for this year.

Sheikh Zaakaria described the conditions under which the would-be pilgrims are living as dehumanising and has made the pilgrimage from Ghana look like a punishment rather than a reward.

He called for a national conference of Muslims, especially those who have the experience in the organisation of hajj and other events to brainstorm on how to prevent subsequent problems in the performance of hajj by Ghanaians from Ghana.

"The annual problem is an embarrassment to all Ghanaians, especially the government and Muslims and it is time for us to put things right."

Hajj is not an emergency and it can therefore be organised very well if the right people are given the chance to take up the responsibility of organising the annual hajj.

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*Sheikh Saeed Abubakr Zaakaria*

Head and Leader of Anbariyya Sunni Community

December 11, 2007