The pilgrimage of politicians is resenting Iraqis

Adel Fakher - Baghdad

Many Iraqis on the sites and the Iraqi street expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that politicians in the government and the parliament have not fewer opportunities for Hajj annually, considering that another division within the framework of partisan and factional quotas, while the Hajj and Umrah denied the allocation of seats for officials in the state, confirming it specially granted Through what is known as a courtesy pilgrimage.

The final draw for pilgrims was held until 2023, which means that many applicants will have to wait for years to make the pilgrimage.

Many Iraqis tweeted on Twitter, criticizing those politicians and deputies, especially corrupt ones, going to the hajj, saying the priority was to reduce transport fares for Hajj, provide more opportunities for the elderly, and work to serve the citizen.

Atheer al-Rawi, a 52-year-old resident of northern Baghdad, said that the majority of citizens entering the Hajj lottery are postponed until further notice or for years because of the lack of allocations for Iraq, and because of the large number of requests submitted to the Commission, at a time prior to the relatives of politicians, men and women, Political parties compete for these seats.

He added to the island Net "on politicians who wish to provide pilgrimage services to citizens as long as they represent the legislative and executive authorities, otherwise how their pilgrimage and the people suffer from the scarcity of electricity in the summer of flaming, where the heat approached fifty degrees Celsius.

Siham al-Massari, a 64-year-old retired woman from Baghdad, says she had been on a pilgrimage about six years ago and has a desire to do Hajj on behalf of her deceased mother. She has duly submitted this year but has been postponed to next year. In the seats next year, this does not apply to politicians or their relatives who go to Hajj every year and often with their families. "

"The Saudi authorities have increased the number of pilgrimage seats for Iraqis last month, but the purpose seems to be for the benefit of political parties that are involved in all matters, including annual pilgrimage seats, and not for the benefit of citizens who wait for years to be drawn for the pilgrimage seats," she told Al Jazeera Net.

"The first politicians, whether they are in the government or parliament, work to reduce transport charges for the pilgrimage, and provide more seats for the elderly, and work to serve the citizen who has been suffering from poor services for more than 16 years," he wondered, "What is the point of their pilgrimage and the people resent them."

The Saudi authorities decided last month to raise the quota allocated to Iraq to 50,000 pilgrims, an opportunity to compete between the forces and political blocs that receive specific proportions of that quota annually, as well as what is known in Iraq seats courtesy or courtesy visa provided by Saudi Arabia to Iraqi officials, politicians and leaders annually Out of quota.

The position of the Hajj body
According to the Supreme Commission for Hajj and Umrah in Iraq, the quota allocated to Iraq before that was 33,690 seats.

The Commission denied the reports that allocated seats for officials in the government and parliament and those with special grades, or the presence of parties to the quota within the Hajj, stressing the existence of so-called courtesy visa granted by Riyadh through its embassy in Baghdad to Iraqi politicians.

"Some deputies and officials in the state go to the Holy Land by obtaining special seats from the Saudi Embassy in Baghdad directly outside the Commission's quota, which is called a courtesy visa," said Hassan al-Kanani, adding that the commission did not even grant citizens pilgrimage seats outside the lottery. Electronic, so since 2015 until now. "

"The citizens' seats are distributed to them through the electronic lottery and not by special approvals as rumored," he added, noting that the lottery held this year lasts until 2023, and has been divided into two parts: the first 60% for the elderly, the second 40% to other ages, and the priority for the elderly. , And all provinces take their full share according to their population. "

Visa for sale
There is talk in the street of Baghdadi that some politicians who get the so-called "visa" (visa) or pilgrimage courtesy to sell their stakes to those who want to do Hajj without resorting to lottery in the amount of about $ 3,000, including all the requirements of the pilgrimage, including air transport, hotel accommodation and other services.

Some travel agencies or pilgrimage offices in Iraq announce offers of a so-called courtesy visa through their Facebook sites, with specific amounts for full services, but will not disclose how to get them.

A Hajj contractor who identified himself as "Abu Ihsan" confirmed to Al Jazeera Net that "the offices of Hajj trips and tourism offices buy the Hajj visa obtained from deputies or officials for between $ 2,000 to $ 2500, and sell it to citizens who did not appear by lot draw Hajj or postponed to years Another $ three thousand or more sometimes, so as to guarantee the speed, there is a demand of the affluent. "

In this regard, Sheikh Montasser Al-Taie believes that "there is no problem in obtaining any official in the state to be offered seats from the host country, according to the protocols or courtesies, provided that it does not affect the quotas of the lot of citizens, and this would be problematic, and if Saudi Arabia was granted A political seat by name and therefore a legitimate right, and the right to give his share if authorized by law, but if sold, it would be subject to suspicion if not forbidden, and must be guarded against. "