Efforts underway to remove hurdles in bedoun ‘Hajj trip’
‘Nod to 10 expats per caravan’
KUWAIT CITY, June 18: Head of Kuwait Hajj Mission, the Assistant Undersecretary for Technical Coordination, Foreign Relations and Hajj Khalif Al-Utheina affirmed that concerned officials are making frantic efforts to resolve problems encountered by Bedouns and ensure they are allowed to perform the rites of the pilgrimage this year, reports AlRai daily.
Al-Utheina revealed the quota of expatriates and Bedouns has been reduced to 10 spaces per caravan out of 8,000 spaces allocated for Kuwaiti pilgrims this year. He said the quota has been allotted to Kuwait this year, because the Saudi Ministry of Hajj did not record any complaint against Kuwaiti caravans last year.
He enjoined pilgrims from Kuwait to abide by rules and regulations set by Saudi Ministry of Hajj and urged them to steer clear of conflict or slogans that could embarrass Kuwait. He hinted the Hajj Mission has been consistent on reminding the caravans to abide by regulations. He warned against registering with unlicensed caravans, saying the operators of unlicensed caravans are liable to one year jail term and KD 50,000 fine.
Meanwhile, Executive Director of American Islamic Congress (AIC) Zainab AlSuwaij said the discourse on hatred and extremist thoughts against followers of other religions or sects usually leads to radicalism and violence, reports AlAnba daily.
In her interview with the daily, Al-Shuwaij the establishment of AIC is regarded as a serious step towards changing stereotypes about Islam and Muslims after the Sept 11 attacks.
She revealed AIC has programs for the development of economic and leadership skills of youths, in addition to the enhancement of democratic practice and elimination of violence, in 13 countries.
She AIC has so far trained more than 8,000 activists in the Arabian Gulf and North Africa, indicating Kuwaiti women are among the most successful in the Middle East as they have proven their capabilities in different fields — as ministers, MPs and businesspersons among several others.
She also warned about the dangers posed by social networking sites, pointing out that 96 percent of social media users are exposed to danger; while 22 percent of girls and young women are exposed to blackmailing due to the photos they posted on their social media accounts. Thousands of Kuwaitis and expatriates are preparing to travel during and after Eid Al-Fitr holidays, which coincide with the summer holidays that extend until the of Eid Al-Kabeer holidays. Due to this, travel agencies have been placing advertisements in all information media and social media networks to attract people who intend to travel, says Al-Seyassah. Several travel and tour agencies affirmed that most of the travelers from Kuwait head to Arab cities such as Dubai, Lebanon, and Sharm el-Sheikh, while many others are travelling to Saudi Arabia, as they prefer to spend the last ten days of Ramadan in Makkah for spiritual purpose. They revealed that the travelers are avoiding spending the summer vacation in countries with security problems. However, number of travelers who will spend the summer vacation in the United States of America and European countries, which are cooler with moderate temperatures, has increased tremendously, especially during this period when the country is experiencing record-breaking high temperatures.