JAKARTA: Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, is celebrating the lifting of age restrictions for the hajj, where many potential pilgrims have to wait years to begin the religious journey.
The Hajj was restricted to domestic participants in 2020 and 2021 due to pandemic fears.
After Saudi Arabia lifted most of its COVID-19 restrictions last year, the precautionary measures were still in place with an age limit of 65 for pilgrims in 2022.
But this year, the annual pilgrimage will return to pre-pandemic rules, and Saudi officials have announced that those over the age of 65 will also be allowed.
“This is certainly surprising news because first of all, many Hajj pilgrims from Indonesia are over 60 years old, and there are even over 65 years old,” said Mijaz Iskandar, ar- in Banda. Aceh professor at the Faculty of Sharia and Law at the Queen’s State Islamic University, who was tasked with organizing the pilgrimage in Aceh province in 2022.
Last year, around 100,000 pilgrims reached Saudi Arabia from Indonesia during the Hajj season. This year the quota for the world’s largest Muslim-majority country will return to pre-pandemic figures.
Indonesia’s Religious Affairs Minister Yakut Cholil Kumas on Sunday signed an agreement with Saudi Hajj and Umrah Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah on the 2023 quota, approving the arrival of 221,000 Indonesian pilgrims this year.
“The Hajj is a long-awaited pilgrimage … The average waiting time to perform the Hajj in Indonesia is about 25 to 28 years,” Iskandar told Arab News, citing statistics from the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
In some areas such as Aceh, South Sulawesi and South Kalimantan the wait can be as long as 30 years.
Iskandar said that now that the quota is higher and the age restriction has been lifted, it will help “accelerate the departure of Indonesian pilgrims”.
Indonesians also took to social media to call for the removal of restrictions for Hajj, with many expressing gratitude.
Indonesian authorities are now gearing up to prepare for the upcoming Hajj season, as elderly pilgrims will need more assistance, including medical support.
“Many of our pilgrims are really elderly,” Eko Hartono, Consul General of Indonesia in Jeddah, told Arab News.
“For that reason, we are considering the need to limit the number of elderly pilgrims so that we can prepare even better for things related to the Hajj… We will definitely do our best to limit the disappointment of potential pilgrims.” Will formulate the right kind of policy.”