Umrah Fails Again, When Will Congregations Go To The Holy Land?

ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) has officially postponed the implementation of the first Umrah during the pandemic until January 2, 2022 or waiting for the situation related to the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 to subside. Initially, the Ministry of Religion planned the departure of Umrah pilgrims to the Holy Land on December 23, 2021. However, because the first case of Omicron was found in Indonesia, the government decided to postpone sending the pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

"We received instructions from the Minister of Religion that Umrah would be postponed following up on the president's directive regarding Omicron," said the Director of Umrah and Special Hajj Development at the Ministry of Religion's Hajj and Umrah Organization, Nur Arifin, Friday, December 17. "The postponement is at least until January 2, and we will continue to evaluate whether it is possible to depart or not," he continued.

Nur Arifin explained that this delay had been discussed in a government coordination meeting. In this case, the Ministry of Religion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Transportation together with the Association of Umrah Organizers and the Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah, Friday, December 17, this afternoon.

"We held a meeting together, we conveyed the statement of the Minister of Religion. Then the associations gave their responses ready to implement the presidential or ministerial decisions," he said.

In the meeting, said Nur Arifin, the Umrah Organizing Association suggested that there would still be a small number of departures for the first Umrah pilgrims on December 23, 2021. "But again, the direction of the Minister of Umrah has been postponed," he said.

However, Nur Arifin added, the Ministry of Religion will conduct an evaluation regarding the development of COVID-19 in Indonesia after January 2, 2022. If it is confirmed that the spread has subsided, the Ministry of Religion will again discuss the latest Umrah regulation rules and revisions to reference fees.

"The conditions will continue to develop, but the development continues to fluctuate, the situation is not fixed immediately," concluded Nur Afifin. Association Encourages Government to Keep Departing Small-Scale Congregations The postponement of the inaugural Umrah, which was originally scheduled for December 23 to January 2022, was immediately responded to by associations organizing Hajj and Umrah.

"The Ministry of Religion, in this case, through the Directorate of Hajj and Umrah Organizing, announces that there is an option to postpone the implementation of the first Umrah for PPIU officers to January 2022," said Secretary of the DPP Affiliated Independent Umrah and Hajj Organizer (AMPUH) Wawan Suhada in his statement, Saturday, December 18. .

The AMPUH DPP Secretariat explained that the postponement was a direct order from President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). However, the implementation date has not yet been determined.

"Because of the President's recommendation through the Minister of Religion to postpone the departure of the inaugural Umrah on December 23, 2021, considering the discovery of the Omicron case and anticipating the spread of COVID-19," said Wawan.

Wawan also revealed that the Head of the Hajj Health Center of the Indonesian Ministry of Health informed about the existence of information and journals from the WHO that reminded about the dangers of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The Director of Umrah Hajj, he said, also invited the representatives of the Association to provide input regarding the information.

"Of the 8 associations, 7 of them include AMPUH encouraging the government to keep sending the first Umrah, although on a smaller scale. For example, each association is represented by several people with the aim of advancing surveys so that when Umrah opens later each association has SOPs for members and their respective congregations," he said.

In addition to considering the very high interest of Muslims, another factor is that it has been two years since Indonesian Muslims have been forced to postpone their Umrah pilgrimage. "The association also sees an element of policy injustice because until now foreign travel other than Umrah is still running," said Wawan.

Wawan said that the Ministry of Religion through the Director General of PHU listened to proposals from associations and then the Ministry of Religion would discuss it internally.

"In the near future the results of the decision will be announced to the wider community and all stakeholders of the Indonesian Umrah ecosystem," he added.

Meanwhile, according to the AMPUH DPP Secretariat, the airline (SV) hopes that the government will continue or cancel it due to the large number of seat requests that are pending on December 23 due to prioritizing flights for Umrah.

"All associations are currently waiting for further news from the Ministry of Religion regarding the fate of this December 23 departure," concluded Wawan.