‘No objection to pilgrim quota cut’

August 17, 2013

Makkah, Aug 17: Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar has denied allegations that some countries had raised objections to the 20 percent reduction in the allocation of number of pilgrims allowed for Haj.

Hajjar said the ministry had finalized the allocation of the number of pilgrims that can be accommodated for Haj for various countries, because of the ongoing expansion works undertaken in the Grand Mosque, particularly the Al-Mataf project.

As for the implementation of stringent procedures being adopted because some countries were going through extraordinary circumstances.

The ministry met with all Haj missions and informed them about the strict procedures, and received assurances from them that they would comply with these rules, the minister said.

The instructions mainly focus on the fact that pilgrims should perform their rites without indulging in activities that would affect pilgrims’ safety and security.”

The minister also pointed out that special arrangements had been made for the smooth entry of Syrian pilgrims. The ministry has signed an agreement with the Syrian National Council to facilitate Syrian pilgrims’ crossing through Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon.

The ministry is still working on putting in place a general scheme for the pilgrims’ city in Madinah and Makkah. It is also making all efforts to serve pilgrims from the minute they arrive in the Kingdom until they leave for their countries, he added.

The Haj Ministry has sought cooperation of the ministers of Islamic affairs and holy sites in neighboring countries that still use old buses to transport pilgrims, which in the past led to accidents resulting in loss of life and injuries. The ministries in other Arab countries were asked to transport their pilgrims only up to Makkah in vehicles that are checked for their road worthiness and safety.

Public transport for pilgrims that work under the umbrella of the general union for motorists are subject to various tests to make sure they are safe to transport pilgrims.

The Umrah season was quite successful, and pilgrims left for their countries after performing Umrah rites smoothly and easily, Hajjar said.

The minister said a meeting will be held soon to give final touches to the ministry’s preparations for this year’s Haj.

The preparations were announced during the Ministry’s Eid reception for its employees in Al-Azeziyah neighborhood.

The reception was attended by Secretary-General of the Ministry of Haj Hatem Qadi, the ministry’s press spokesman, and Eisa Rawas, the ministry’s secretary-general for Umrah affairs.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Syrian Town erupts after Israeli forces enter Beit Jinn; heavy casualties reported

News Network

November 28,2025

Several Syrians were killed and more than two dozen others injured in Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Damascus, amid intensified incursions by the occupying regime since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule.

Syrian state TV reported that the casualties occurred during an overnight Israeli assault involving helicopters and drones on the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. The attack followed an Israeli military unit’s entry into the town, where they were surrounded by local residents, leading to gunfire and direct confrontations.

According to the report, “The occupation army’s helicopters and artillery shelled Beit Jinn, located at the foothills of Mount Hermon, resulting in 13 martyrs and 25 injured civilians.” The broadcaster did not specify the full extent of damage.

Al-Ikhbariyah Syria confirmed that the shelling coincided with Israeli soldiers entering Beit Jinn, while artillery pounded surrounding areas. The broadcaster stated that the escalation began after local residents clashed with an Israeli patrol that had infiltrated the southern town and “kidnapped” three young men.

Following a two-hour exchange of heavy fire, Israeli forces withdrew and repositioned on the hill of Butt al-Warda at the town’s outskirts.

Israeli media acknowledged that six soldiers were wounded in the clashes—three of them seriously—describing the confrontation as a “sudden ambush” that forced the deployment of reserve units and air support to secure an exit route. No further details were provided.

The aggression has fueled renewed displacement from Beit Jinn, with residents fleeing to nearby villages amid increasingly frequent Israeli attacks.

The raid came just a day after Israeli troops carried out another ground incursion into Umm al-Luqas village in Quneitra province. According to SANA, an Israeli unit in four vehicles entered the village, raided several homes, and later withdrew.

Syria condemned the repeated incursions as violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and UN resolutions, urging the international community to enforce compliance and pressure Israel to halt its operations and withdraw fully.

Israel has expanded its attacks across Syrian territory following the collapse of the Assad government last year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly instructed his forces to push deeper into Syrian territory and seize strategic positions.

Meanwhile, critics say the HTS-led interim government’s inaction and growing normalization gestures toward Israel have emboldened Tel Aviv to intensify its military operations. HTS, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, seized control of Damascus last December, formally ending Assad’s rule.

Comments