President Kufuor asked to help solve hajj problems

Sheikh Saeed Abubakr Zakaria, head of the Anbariyya Mosque in Tamale, has appealed to President John Agyekum Kufuor to help solve problems being faced by prospective pilgrims to enable them to travel to Mecca to perform this year's hajj. He expressed regret that the Interim Hajj Management Committee, responsible for the trip, failed to learn from past mistakes and adopt pragmatic measures to correct the perennial anomalies associated with the hajj. Sheikh Zakaria, who made the appeal in a statement issued in Tamale on Tuesday, said there was the need to institute a committee of enquiry into the circumstances leading to lapses in the operations of the committee. He explained that Hajj was one of the five pillars of Islam and it was in the interest and the wish of every Muslim to attend the pilgrimage, at least once in his or her lifetime. Sheikh Zakaria who is also the head of the Sunni Community, said all Muslims would be disappointed if the dreams of prospective pilgrims were not fulfilled and called on the President to use his Executive powers to ensure that no one was left out in this year's hajj. He said "The President should therefore consider the situation as a national crisis and personally take charge to ensure that all the 2,700 prospective pilgrims to Mecca had the chance to take part in this year's hajj." He said by December 15, the Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia would be closed to all flights, an indication that everybody must leave Ghana before Friday, to be able to meet the deadline. Sheikh Zakaria said the conditions under which the prospective pilgrims were living in Accra was dehumanising. He called for a national conference of Muslims, to brainstorm on how best they could collectively address hajj problems.