In Northern Caucasus, Hajj is prepared amid uncertainty

The North-Caucasian Muftiates are accepting believers' applications for performing Hajj to Saudi Arabia, but because of the pandemic, the quotas for regions and the rules for making the pilgrimage have not been finally defined.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in 2021, for those wishing to make Hajj, vaccination against coronavirus is mandatory, the Dagestani Ministry of Public Health has stated. Instagram users have noted that restrictions on non-vaccinated users make voluntary vaccination meaningless.

Applications from those wishing to make Hajj are accepted, but due to the uncertainty of the pricing policy and the age limit, it is difficult to name the criteria for selecting pilgrims, Ibragim Dzagurov, Deputy Mufti of North Ossetia, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, noting that everyone will have to be vaccinated before receiving a permit to make a pilgrimage.

In Kabardino-Balkaria, the Muftiate also refrains from disseminating information about this year's Hajj due to the absence of understanding of the conditions thereof, Alim Sizhazhev, Deputy Mufti of the republic, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"There is no information on the Hajj now, Saudi Arabia is silent, and we are waiting," he said.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 18, 2021 at 10:30 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.