The Sri Lankan government announced that Muslims will be allowed to perform the Hajj this year provided they pay their travel expenses in foreign currency, as the country is experiencing its worst economic crisis in recent times.
Last month, an umbrella association of Sri Lankan pilgrimage organizers stated that its members would suspend their activities, as the cost of sending believers to Mecca, estimated at 10 million dollars, would be too high for the country as it grapples with its worst financial downturn since gaining independence in 1948 and has already defaulted on its external debt payments.
The suspension was conditionally lifted by Minister of Religious Affairs Vidura Wickremanayake on Tuesday after consultations with Muslim parliamentarians and Minister of Environment Naseer Ahamed, who also oversees Middle Eastern affairs.
«At the request of Muslim groups led by Minister Ahamed, we decided to fulfill the pilgrim quota by asking them to pay for the Hajj package in foreign currency, which will not affect our national economy,» Wickremanayake told Arab News.
«I asked the central bank to develop conditions for this pilgrimage, and they will help them find an easy path to Mecca and back this year.».
Muslims make up nearly 10 percent of the country's 22-million population, which is predominantly Buddhist.
This year, the country was allocated a quota of 1,585 pilgrims to perform the Hajj after Saudi Arabia announced it would allow 1 million foreign and local Muslims to visit the holy sites in Mecca.
Although Sri Lanka is unlikely to fulfill the entire quota, Ahamed, who discussed the matter with Wickremanayake, said that even sending a smaller number of pilgrims this year would help the country preserve its allocation. This year's number is already lower than in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the Hajj.
«Since pilgrims have been asked to pay for their package in foreign currency, we cannot expect the entire quota to be used this year. But it is good to take pilgrims along to preserve Sri Lanka's quota for next year as well, when the situation becomes simpler,» Ahamed said in an interview with Arab News.
«Three years ago, we received a Hajj quota of nearly 4,000 people, and this year we do not want to miss this quota of 1,585 people for Sri Lankan pilgrims.».
One of the five main pillars of the Islamic faith, the Hajj was limited due to fears of the coronavirus to only 1,000 people residing in Saudi Arabia in 2020. Last year, the Kingdom allowed 60,000 local participants compared to 2.5 million before the pandemic.
Potential pilgrims from Sri Lanka must submit their applications to the Ministry of Religious Affairs by Friday.
«I asked those who are interested to submit the necessary applications to the department of Muslim religious and cultural affairs no later than June 10,» said Ibrahim Sahib Ansar, director of the department at the ministry responsible for logistics.
«There are 86 tour operators, from which about 15 well-known agents will be selected, and operations will be streamlined through them,» he added.