Sacked minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui’s language was harsh. His statement is not acceptable to Muslims. Although most of them just shrugged off as they believe there is a final judgment day, a section of people are out to take his head – if not today, obviously tomorrow or day after tomorrow.
The way Latif Siddiqui expressed his observations on Hajj economy was objectionable. But, discussions on economy of Hajj, one of the five pillars of the Islam, is nothing new.
The Hajj economy was portrayed in media time and again. It wasn’t just the western world that came up with such discussions. Even the Arab media wrote on the economy of Hajj. Bangladeshi media also did not lag behind.
Arabian Gazette
Mentioning that Hajj is obligatory for Muslims who can afford, the Arabian Gazette wrote: “The word ‘afford’ is of prime importance – because the annual pilgrimage is of considerable expense. On average, it costs $6,000 (£3,700) for an individual to make the annual pilgrimage.”
“This means that the millions who come to Saudi Arabia each year contribute millions of dollars to the Saudi economy,” said the Arabian Gazette.
With the number of people coming to Mecca to perform Hajj increasing by the year, it said: “The high number of travelers have contributed to the development of the religious tourism industry within Saudi Arabia, which makes up to 3 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).”
Revenues from Hajj and Umrah services in 2012 were recorded at more than SR 62 billion ($16.5 billion), up 10 percent from the 2011 figures.
“While most of the influx of capital is witnessed by Mecca and Medina, the benefits are also reaped by support services catering to the comfort and needs of those travelling for their Hajj and Umrah,” observed the Arabian Gazette.
The BBC
The BBC a few years back reported on Hajj saying “the annual occasion has become a lucrative business in recent years, proving a great financial asset to the economy of the oil-rich kingdom (Saudi Arabia).”
“Many pilgrims, however, struggle to reconcile their spiritual needs with their wallets,” it said citing experiences of pilgrims.
According to BBC, “the millions who come to Mecca every year bring billions of dollars to the Saudi economy … restaurants, travel agents, airlines and mobile phone companies all earn big bucks during the Hajj, and the government benefits in the form of taxes.”
The BBC quoted the Chamber of Commerce in Mecca that the 10-day event generated some $10bn (£6.2bn).
Its report said that the private sector maximises its returns during Hajj, with investment in real estate an attractive proposition ahead of the pilgrimage.
“The highest rents in Saudi Arabia are found in the holy city of Mecca, the birthplace of Islam,” said the report from few years back adding “Owners of hotels close to the main mosque ask for $700 a night, blaming the skyrocketing prices of land for the sharp rise in rates.”
“I have been investing in this sector for 35 years. I remember when I first sold a metre of land in Mecca for just 15 rials ($3), now it has reached 80,000 rials ($22,000),” the BBC quoted Mohamed Saed al-Jahni, one of Mecca’s real estate tycoons.
It said: “Super-tall buildings are filling the Mecca skyline at an unstoppable pace. The ancient city’s centuries-old sites are giving way to glitzy luxury hotels, which are not affordable for many pilgrims.”
The BBC had another report with the headline “Is Mecca looking like Manhattan?” and it said: “Mecca is also now being compared to Manhattan with the pace of high-rise buildings that are dotting the skyline.”
“Luxury hotels are being built by the local authority to provide accommodation for the rich visitors that come to the city,” said the report mentioning that some Saudi archaeologists are angry that historical sites and buildings are being destroyed to make way for them.
According to the BBC, “Selling Mecca souvenirs is another very lucrative business during the Hajj … there are no official estimates for this profitable trade, but it is believed to bring hundreds of millions of dollars every year.”
Although those are called “blessed souvenirs,” BBC said: “The price of Mecca souvenirs is often eye-wateringly high and most of the products like prayer mats and beads are not made in the city, but rather in China.”
The Guardian
You can also go through the report of the Guardian with the headline “Mecca makeover: how the hajj has become big business for Saudi Arabia”.
Giving many examples, the respected world media said: “The level of pampering offered by some of the hotels – Asprey toiletries, 24-hour butler service, $270 chocolate selections – may jar with the ethos of sacrifice, simplicity and humility of Hajj but it is not a contradiction felt by the customers snapping up royal suites at $5,880 a night, eating gelato or milling around hangar-like lobbies of polished marble in their Hajj clothing of bedsheets, towels or burqas.”
According to the Guardian, “Business reports conclude that Saudi tourism, especially the religious variety, is recession proof. The government’s commission for tourism and antiquities said revenue from tourism this year would reach $17.6bn, then almost double again by 2015. Business Monitor International forecasts there will be 319,000 rooms, up from 218,000 in 2009 in Saudi Arabia.”
It said: “All around the Grand Mosque and the Ka’bah, which are overshadowed by cranes and skyscrapers, construction continues at a frenzied pace. Mountains have been razed to make way for towers.... The mountains of Mecca – Omar, Kaabah, Khandama – will no longer exist. The Shamiya district has all but disappeared. From the terrace of al-Bait to street level there is a stench of machine oil and cement that mingles with the more familiar odours of Hajj – sweat, hardship and flipflops.”
Dhaka Tribune
Not only the foreign media, at least one local newspaper wrote on the economic aspects of Hajj. The Dhaka Tribune in an article said: “In Bangladesh, a lot of people feel compelled to go for performing Hajj in Saudi Arabia. Why? There are many social pressures that at first influence and later on force people to perform pilgrimage. There is this ‘Haji’ title-seeking competition – whoever goes to perform Hajj is later on called a Haji. Haji is a very respectable title for anyone in the community.”
“Then there is peer pressure. When someone from a similar social status goes for pilgrimage, other members psychologically feel that it is necessary for them to go as well. There are even incidences when people come and ask them to prepare for their Hajj, saying that it is high time they did it,” it said.
The article before Hajj in 2014 mentioned “a total of 101,758 Bangladeshi Hajis are expected to perform Hajj this year as the Saudi Arabian authorities allowed Bangladesh to send pilgrims equivalent to this number.”
“If we calculate the total number then we will see that this year people of Bangladesh are going to spend over Tk1,605 crore or Tk3,009 crore or somewhere in between. In 2014, we have an approximately Tk61,346 crore budget deficit,” said the Tribune article.
May be the style of expression is different. But, what Latif Siddiqui said had been told by many people and the media before. Many of the reporters and writers are also Muslims.
Will all of them be brought under trial as in the case of Latif Siddiqui, whose head is now wanted by some people?