Gizatulin: some of our pilgrims go to Mecca as tourists or tradesmen

On the eve of the upcoming May accreditation of tourist operators for the Hajj, different viewpoints are expressed. The governmental commission on religious communities believes that travel agencies and mediation companies are the perpetrators of the problems encountered by pilgrims. The board of muftis puts part of the blame on pilgrims as such.

As reported by the above governmental commission, by the end of May they would approve the list of accredited travel agencies in charge of organizing the Hajj of Russian Muslims to Saudi Arabia. As reported by Damir Gizatulin, deputy chairman of Council of Muftis of Russia, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that it is hardly possible that some of the tour companies, which cause the greatest criticism of pilgrims and the hosts, will be deprived of their licenses.

"I don't think that accredited Hajj tour operators should be deprived license because of shortcomings in their work," he said. "Organizing and holding Hajj is a very complex matter; and anyone may have problems. It's just impossible to foresee everything."

The issue of possible sanctions against "careless tour operators" was raised by Ilyas Umakhanov, the Commissioner on Hajj Issues of the Commission for Matters of Religious Associations of the Russian Government. He thinks that it is necessary to exclude at the intermediaries who receive money from pilgrims, hand them over to operator and respond for nothing.