Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 16-10-2016

An interim committee formed to address the proposed Umrah visa costs has condemned the increase in visa fees saying they want an immediate suspension & scrapping of the charges.

The Anti-Visa Fee Committee SA initiated by social cohesive activist Yusuf Abramjee and co-chaired by Secretary General of the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa Moulana Ebrahim Bham met at JISA in Crosby today. 

Members of the committee include Moulana Moosa Akoodie, secretary of the South African Muslim Travel Association (SAMTA) Fazila Malek, Ebrahim Laher and Yaseen Theba amongst others.

In recent weeks concerns have been raised about the lack of clarification on the costs of Umrah visas from the Saudi Arabian embassy in South Africa and authorities in the Kingdom as thousands of Muslims in the country and across the world intend on embarking on the spiritual pilgrimage to the holy lands of Makkah and Medina.

Reports from Saudi media namely the Saudi Gazette and Arab News suggest that the  proposed Umrah visa fees could be around 2,000 Saudi Riyals which equates to more than 7,000 Rand per person ahead of the Umrah season which officially opens soon.

There was a large turnout for the #UmrahVisaFeesMustFall meeting but with a noticeable absence of representatives from the Saudi Arabian Embassy in South Africa and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) who were invited for the gathering. 

Co-chair of the committee Yusuf Abramjee says they will be engaging the South African government, the Saudi Embassy in Pretoria and Saudi Authorities in the Kingdom to scrap the visa fees.

“It is exorbitant, it’s going to put undue pressure on pilgrims travelling for their religious obligation. We are not subscribing to a boycott like some other countries are undertaking. We feel a boycott will be an insult to our religion and our holy places. It’s our religious obligation to go for hajj and for Umrah.”  

Abramjee says the committee is also considering mass action, the message of which would be spread through various masaajid in the country.

He says the committee may also possibly address the reasons for the Umrah visa fee increase by the Saudi Arabian government including that it is being allegedly used to fund the war in Yemen and other operations.

“I’m going to put it very bluntly like I put it in the meeting. Some people were very diplomatic. This is a money making scheme by the Saudi Arabian government in my view. It’s a rip off, it’s daylight robbery, it’s profiteering out of pilgrims and something we cannot condone.”

Abramjee says nearly ten thousand people have already signed a petition opposing the proposed Umrah visa fee increases.

Twitter: @FaizelPatel143