Muslim women likely to go to Hajj without Mahram: Naqvi

News Network
December 9, 2018

New Delhi, Dec 9: A large number of Muslim women are likely to go to Hajj without 'Mahram' (male companion) next year, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Sunday.

Naqvi, while chairing a meeting here with representatives of organisations associated with Hajj, said that the Hajj Committee of India has received more than 2,23,000 applications for Hajj 2019 till now.

The over 2,23,000 applications include about 47 per cent women, he was quoted as saying by a statement released from his office.

Hajj application process had started on November 7, 2018, and the last date for it is December 12.

Naqvi said that more than 2,000 women have applied to go for Hajj in 2019 without 'Mahram' with the number likely to go up.

Naqvi said that in 2018, for the first time, the Centre had lifted the ban on women going to Hajj without Mahram, which resulted into about 1,300 women going for the pilgrimage without any male companion.

They had been exempted from the lottery system and more than 100 women Hajj coordinators and Hajj assistants had been deployed to assist the Indian women Hajj pilgrims, Naqvi said.

For the first time after Independence, a record number of Muslims -- 1,75,025 -- from India performed Hajj in 2018 and that too without any subsidy, he said.

Naqvi said that making the Hajj process completely digital has helped in making the entire process transparent.

For Hajj 2019, about 1,36,000 online applications have been received and the online portal for Private Tour Operators (PTOs) is already operational, Naqvi said.

While on one hand, the portal has ensured transparency in the functioning of PTOs, on the other hand, it is very beneficial for the pilgrims as they get all the necessary information, he said, adding that the new policy for the PTOs is also likely to be chalked out this year.

Naqvi said that the central government, in coordination with Indian Consulate in Jeddah and various concerned agencies in Saudi Arabia, is working to ensure safety and better facilities for the pilgrims.

The bilateral Hajj agreement between India and Saudi Arabia is likely to be signed soon, he said.

Comments

syed
 - 
Monday, 10 Dec 2018

A woman does not have to go for Hajj unless she is able, and having a Mahram who can accompany her is one of the prerequisites for her to be able to go to Hajj. If it is not easy for her to find a Mahram to go for Hajj with her, then she is not able according to Shareeah, because in Islam a woman is forbidden to travel without a Mahram. Therefore Hajj is not obligatory for you unless you find a Mahram. So have patience until Allaah makes it easy for you to have a Mahram with whom you can go for Hajj. You have a valid excuse and there is no sin on you for this. As for going with a group without a Mahram, this is not permissible because of the hadeeth narrated by Ibn Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: No woman should travel except with a Mahram, and no man should enter upon a woman unless her Mahram is with her. A man said, O Messenger of Allaah, I want to go out with such-and-such an army and my wife wants to go to Hajj. He said, Go to Hajj with her.

(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 1729). The pilgrims used to go out from Madeenah in one caravan like a group but still the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not allow women to travel without a Mahram.

And Allaah knows best.

Saleem
 - 
Monday, 10 Dec 2018

my friend, first of all you must understand what is the concept of Mahram in Islamic perspective.  If you don't know learn from the scholars to know the significance.  Please don't utter such a rubbish statement in front of media before you understand from the authentic sources why mahram is mandatory for a women in her journey.  if you are illiterate in this subject, then you learn first.

SAN
 - 
Monday, 10 Dec 2018

Dear Dont take the credit, this is done by SAUDI Authorities. Your party is famous for taking credit for some else work. 

 

Peacelover
 - 
Sunday, 9 Dec 2018

A dirty political Iblis a agent of rss terror group. Zero religious knowledge. 

Arsh
 - 
Sunday, 9 Dec 2018

It turns out that the Saudi Arabia government had relaxed the mahram provision for women over 45 years of age, travelling in organised groups in 2014 itself.

So clearly, India has just caught up. It should also be noted that if India had altered the rules and Saudi’s visa guidelines had not, it still wouldn’t have been possible for Indian Muslim women to travel for Hajj without a male escort. 

 

Saudi Hajj Rule "

  1. All women are required to travel for Hajj with a Mahram. Proof of kinship must be submitted with the application form. Women over the age of forty-five (45) may travel without a Mahram with an organized group, They must, however submits a no objection letter from her husband, son or brother authorizing her to travel for Hajj with the named group. This letter should be notarized."

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coastaldigest.com web desk
May 23,2020

The decision of the Indian government to ease the coronavirus-linked global travel restrictions imposed on those having OCI cards has given a big relief to many stranded overseas citizens of India across the world.

OCI card is issued to people of Indian origin globally which gives them almost all the privileges of an Indian national except for the right to vote, government service and buying agricultural land. The OCI card gives them a visa-free travel to India.

On Friday, the central government allowed certain categories of OCI card holders, who are stranded abroad, to come to the country. Earlier, according to the regulations issued by the Indian government in April, visas of foreign nationals and OCI cards were suspended as part of the new international travel restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic.

This privilege of visa free travel to India was causing distress among a large number of people of Indian-origin and Indian citizens in countries like the US whose children were OCI card holders as they were born in this country.

Many Indian parents, several of whom lost their jobs as a result of the economic crisis due to coronavirus pandemic, but were not allowed to take the special evacuation flights of Air India from various US cities, took to social media and urged the Indian leaders to allow them to travel to India.

“This is a big relief for the OCI card holders. It was a humanitarian crisis in the making. I am pleased that the Indian Government listened to their voices,” said social activist Prem Bhandari, chairman of Jaipur Foot USA, who has been taking up the cause of the OCI card holders.

Dr Arathi Krishna, former deputy chairperson of NRI Forum of Karnataka government, who had been demanding this relaxation, many of the thousands of stranded OCI card holders in defferent parts of the world were in pursuading her to exert pressure on the authorities concerned for this much needed relaxation.

The restrictions on traveling of OCI card holders to India was issued by govt of India on March 13 in the wake of global outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. 

She said: "Many parents who are Indian nationals could not travel for emergency purpose to India after repatriation flights started due to their minor children being OCI card holders. Many children who were OCI card holders could not travel to India to perform last rites when there was death in their family due to these restrictions"

"I was constantly pressurising and bringing these issues to the attention of ministry officials in External Affairs and Home Affairs departments. I was following up with Mr Dammu Ravi who is heading the COVID task force  task firce in the ministry of overseas Indian affairs who took interest in solving this problem through his consistent efforts with MHA. Iam thankful to Fireign Secretary too for his efforts and concern and to MHA for making it easier now for OCI card holders to travel in repatriation flights with emergency reasons," she said.

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coastaldigest.com news network
March 29,2020

Mangaluru, Mar 29: Mosques across Karnataka are now turning into centers to create awareness against deadly coronavirus that cause Covid-19. 

The state government's board of auqaf has issued a notification to the administrations of all mosques to use their loud speakers to create awareness against the virus. 

All the mosques in the state have already suspended congregational prayers to prevent the spread of the virus.

As per the decision of the state board of auqaf, now all mosques have to play the audio clips that creates awareness against the virus in three languages. 

The clips will be played at 10 a.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. everyday.

Comments

Mr Frank
 - 
Monday, 30 Mar 2020

Also need to make call on all prayer places temples and churches to live with humanity without violence. 

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News Network
February 4,2020

New Delhi, Feb 4: "I own my statement," said BJP lawmaker Anant kumar Hedge on Tuesday amid the raging controversy over his remark on Mahatma Gandhi while adding that he has never said anything against the Father of the Nation.

"All related media reports are false. I never said what is being debated over. It is an unnecessary controversy. I own my statement made on February 1, 2020, in Bengaluru. I never made any reference to any political party or Mahatma Gandhi or anybody else, I was just trying to categorise freedom struggle. That's all," Hedge told news agency.

"I am surprised by the discussion around it. What can I say about something that is not there? There is hullabaloo going on without anything. My statement is available in public forum. If anyone wants to see, it is available online and on my website. Show me if I have said anything against Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and any other freedom fighters," he added.

The BJP leader continued: "That programme was about Savarkar. With due respect of all our freedom fighters, I was just discussing our freedom struggle, there is no confusion or any derogatory comment on freedom struggle or fighters. Unnecessary nuisance has been created."

Hedge stoked a controversy after he had attacked Mahatma Gandhi by calling the freedom struggle led by him a "drama" and also questioned as to how "such people" come to be called 'Mahatma' in India.

"None of these so-called leaders was beaten up by the cops even once. Their independence movement was a big drama. It was staged by these leaders with the approval of the British. It was not a genuine fight. It was an adjustment freedom struggle," he had said.

While several Congress leaders have condemned his remark on the father of the nation, BJP leaders too has distanced themselves from it.

Top leadership in BJP is unhappy with Anantkumar Hegde over his controversial remark on Mahatma Gandhi, party sources had said on Monday, adding that he has been asked to issue an unconditional apology.

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