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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Mangaluru: Bajpe police arrests young man for alleged derogatory posts against police
Bajpe: Police have arrested a youth for allegedly posting derogatory and defamatory content against the Bajpe police on social media.
The arrested accused has been identified as Abhishek M. (23), a resident of Katipalla, Surathkal.
According to the police, Abhishek posted a photograph of Bajpe Nisarga Hotel on his Instagram account mr_a_titude_22, alleging that accused persons in a murder case under the jurisdiction of the Bajpe police station were being treated “like royalty” by the police and were being served beef meals from the hotel every day. In his post, he further accused the police of colluding with criminals and misusing their authority, stating that public trust in the police was being betrayed.
Following which, the Bajpe police registered a case and arrested the accused.
Police records reveal that Abhishek is already facing multiple criminal cases. A case of murder, attempt to murder, assault and robbery has been registered against him at the Surathkal police station. At the same time, a robbery case has also been registered at the Kaup police station.
After his arrest, Abhishek was handed over to the custody of the CEN police for further investigation. He was later produced before a court, police said.
