Give opportunity to Muslims with no means to go on Haj pilgrimage – Religious Affairs Minister

Minister of Religious Affairs Vijitha Herath, while addressing the heads of institutions that have obtained the Hajj quota, emphasized that rural Islamic devotees who do not have assets should be given the opportunity to go on Haj pilgrimage.
He said this during the program held at the Ministry of Religious Affairs yesterday (4) for giving the Hajj quota to 88 institutions.
Minister Herath said, “There is no problem with the selection committee. Although there is a theoretical method here, issues crop up when practised.
That is what needs to be fixed. We want to provide that choice to pilgrims in a transparent manner. We hope to go a little more to the village level and give everyone the opportunity instead of being centred on Colombo and the West; economically, this is a difficult time, so some system should be made for those who have difficulties going on pilgrimage. Those who have means get more space. You also have to consider this. For, God’s blessings can be obtained only by giving the poor the opportunity to perform Hajj.
“It would be good if the quota they receive as an institution is used to extend to all the remote rural villages of Sri Lanka, to give to the economically challenged. Next, we need to say that we will continue to manage the Waqf Council and Hajj Committee in the same way.
We have received various suggestions. But we are not thinking of making changes according to those views. We will see about them in the future. After these Hajj pilgrims get opportunities, we can make decisions about them.
The next thing is that as the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the new government, our policy is to protect people’s right to practice a religion. Different people have different opinions on this, and different organizations may have different opinions.
We tell the officials of the institutions that receive these quotas that if we do this work transparently and win the trust of the Saudi government, we can increase this quota. I request you to build that trust.”

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