Farah Fazira From Lhokseumawe Aceh Becomes The Youngest Hajj Candidate

Pilgrims of the first batch of prospective hajj pilgrims at the Embarkation Hajj Dormitory in Aceh, Banda Aceh City, Wednesday (14/6/2022). (PHOTO ANTARA/Khalis Surry)

BANDA ACEH - Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) Aceh Province, Iqbal stated that the youngest hajj candidate departing from the Aceh Embarkation came from Lhokseumawe City, who is now 18 years old.

"The youngest hajj pilgrim comes from Lhokseumawe, namely Farah Fazira at the age of 18," he said in Banda Aceh as reported by Antara, Tuesday, June 14.

Farah Fazira was born on February 4, 2004, who is currently still a student and will go with her parents.

He will depart in a flying group (kloter) IV on Saturday (18/6), along with 208 other pilgrims from North Aceh, 130 people from Lhokseumawe City and 49 people from Aceh Tamiang.

Farah and other pilgrims will fly to Medina, Saudi Arabia with Garuda Indonesia Airways (GIA) flight number GA2104 at 00.30 WIB, accompanied by four Hajj Organizing Committees (PPIH) and two Regional Hajj Guides (PHD).

"He has indeed been registered from the start as a congregation, not a backup or replacement congregation," said Iqbal.

Meanwhile, for the oldest pilgrim in Aceh, he said, he came from West Aceh Regency named Cut Endek Teuku Budiman Binti Muhammad Amin B, who is now 65 years old.

This woman will depart in batch five on 19 June.

"Because this year there is a limit on the age of 65 years and under, the oldest one means the oldest among the elders," said Iqbal.

The Ministry of Religion noted that the average age of the Aceh Hajj pilgrims who will depart this year is between 51-60 years, namely 955 pilgrims or 47.2 percent of the total pilgrims who will depart as many as 1992 people.

In this year's hajj season, the Aceh Ministry of Religion will dispatch 1,992 pilgrims plus 31 officers, bringing the total to 2,023 pilgrims.

All pilgrims will be flown in six groups, each group of 393 people consisting of five full groups and one mixed group.

"In a mixed group, pilgrims from Aceh will join some congregations from Medan, North Sumatra," he said.

The Aceh Ministry of Religion will dispatch the first batch on Wednesday (15/6) at around 01.25 WIB in the morning. Currently the first batch of congregants have entered the Aceh Embarkation Hajj dormitory, said Iqbal.