Economic crisis forces Sri Lankan Muslims to forgo Haj pilgrimage this year
Colombo(PTI): Sri Lankan Muslims have decided to forgo the Haj pilgrimage this year due to the worst economic crisis facing the debt-ridden country, a media report said on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia had approved a quota of 1,585 Haj pilgrims from Sri Lanka for the year 2022, out of the one million foreign and domestic Muslims allowed to travel to the holy city of Makkah in the pilgrimage season, the Arab News reported.
However, it was decided that no Muslim from Sri Lanka would travel for the pilgrimage this time, following a discussion held by several parties including the National Haj Committee, Haj Tour Operators Association of Sri Lanka, and the Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Department.
When going through the prevailing situation and the suffering the people are undergoing in our mother Lanka, members of both associations decided to sacrifice this year's Haj, said a letter directed to the Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Department by the All-Ceylon Haj Tour Operators Association and Haj Tour Operators Association of Sri Lanka.
Haj Tour Operators Association President Rizmi Reyal, meanwhile, said the decision by operators was unanimous due to the severe dollar crisis facing the country .
Sri Lanka has been facing the worst economic crisis since its Independence from Britain in 1948, partly due to lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.
The whole Haj operation of Sri Lankan pilgrims will cost around USD 10 million, which is a big amount compared with the current economic situation of the country, said Ahkam Uwais, chairman of the National Hajj Committee under Sri Lanka's Department of Muslim Religious Affairs.
The decision to forgo this year's Hajj is a generous gesture by members of the Muslim community to sacrifice their pilgrimage for the sake of the country, he added.
Muslims make up almost 10 per cent of Sri Lanka's 22 million -- predominantly Buddhist -- population.
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India & Israel elevate ties to special strategic partnership, vow to soon conclude free trade deal
Jerusalem (PTI): India and Israel on Thursday elevated their "time-tested" relationship to a special strategic partnership and agreed to soon firm up a "mutually beneficial" free trade deal even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly backed the Gaza peace initiative, asserting that humanity must never become a victim of conflict.
Following talks between Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, the two sides inked a plethora of agreements to expand cooperation in areas of trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace and digital payment.
India and Israel also vowed to expand their already close defence partnership by working towards joint development and joint production of military hardware under the framework of the transfer of technologies.
In his media statement, Modi said India's security interest is linked to peace and stability in the Middle East, adding that New Delhi fully supports the Gaza Peace Initiative.
"India's stance is clear: humanity must never become a victim of conflict. A path to peace has been created through the Gaza Peace Plan. India has fully supported these efforts," he said.
"In the future as well, we will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries," he said.
PM Modi landed in Israel on Wednesday on a two-day visit. It is his second visit to Israel in nine years.
In his remarks, the prime minister said India and Israel have a united view that there is no place for terrorism in the world and both sides stand shoulder-to-shoulder in countering terrorism and its supporters.
"Our relationship is founded on the strong bedrock of deep trust, shared democratic values, and human sensitivities. Our bond has stood the test of every trial of time," he said.
"Today, we have taken the historic decision to elevate our time-tested partnership to the status of a 'Special Strategic Partnership'," he said.
The prime minister also announced the establishment of an India-Israel critical and emerging technologies partnership to impart a new momentum for cooperation in areas of artificial intelligence, quantum, and critical minerals. "I am pleased that an agreement has been reached for the use of UPI in Israel," he said.
The prime minister, referring to the threat of terrorism, said India and Israel will continue to confront the menace unitedly.
"India and Israel are completely clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world. In any form, in any expression, terrorism cannot be accepted," he said.
"We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in opposing terrorism and its supporters, and we will continue to do so," he added.
India and Israel also discussed the implementation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation under the framework of I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA).
