Hajj visa price furore grows
MUSLIM South Africans are being urged to sign a petition calling for the scrapping of the proposed visa fee hikes for Hajj and Umrah.
The government of Saudi Arabia recently announced the new visa fee of SAR 2 000 (approximately R7 500). The current visa fee works out to about R1 500.
Social activist Yusuf Abramjee, the co-chair of the newly formed Anti Visa Fee Committee SA, described the fee hike as shocking.
With Umrah season due to open on November 1, #U mr ah Visa Fees Must Fall has been trending on social networks.
Abramjee said about 950 South Africans went on Hajj, an annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
Around 250 000 South Africans annually went on Umrah, which is a smaller pilgrimage.
“We do not support the call to boycott Umrah and Hajj as it is our right and religious obligation to perform Hajj and Umrah,” said Abramjee, who recently returned from Hajj.
Abramjee said the Saudi government had not officially released a statement on the fee hikes.
“We call on the South African government via Dirco (Department of International Relations and Cooperation) and the embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to take up this call on behalf of the Muslim community.”
Moulana Abdullah Khan, from the Jamiat Ulama KZN, said while nothing had been formally communicated from the embassy, the issue was “highly concerning”.
“These fee hikes will make it unaffordable to the local Muslim community.”
Khan said the Jamiat Ulama supported “mobilising” certain organisations against the hikes.
He added that Hajj was a religious obligation of every Muslim, if they could afford it.
“Many opt for Umrah as it can be done all year round and is affordable.”
Abdur Rahman, from Al Anwar travel group, said the fee hike would affect bookings for Umrah: “Travel operators can’t structure their prices (with) no clarity on how this is going to be implemented.” Rahman said the uncertainty was global.
“There hasn’t been communication with pilgrims.” Rahman questioned what the increased fees were going to be used for.