This is really amazing and heartbreaking to say the least.
Just imagine pilgrims departures delayed till they almost missed the Hajj,
and now they are stranded in Macca.
I remeber asking a question why pilgrims are forced to go with this
arrangement as the only way to do the Hajj, and Habib, you said the Saudi
government wanted Governments to get involved in theselection of tavel
agencies who provide this service or something to that effect.
My guess is that the Saudi government only made the request to ensure that
those travel agencies who provide service for pilgrims are competent ones who
will ensure that the pilgrims have a comfortable and efficiently planned trip
and that  this sort of thing does not happen. It was not intended  to provide
the government an excuse to monopolize this as well or to illegally award the
contract to themselves. The criterion for selecting the service providers was
definitely not based on their performance, efficiency and track record but on
something else that is not in the best interest of the pilgrims.
I think if this process has been hijacked by Jammeh and his cohorts,  and no
other competent Gambian travel agents are allowed ot provide service to
pilgrims except those that are henpecked, then Gambians who want to go to the
Hajj or send their loved ones in the future need to write to the Saudi
government to make them aware of this situation and to request that they
allow Gambian pilgrims who choose to do so to make arrangements for the hajj
through travel agents outside of Gambia, and not have this affaect their
ability ot be admitted inot Saudi Arabia for the hajj. I think that is the
remedy, if you get bad service, you go elsewhere next time. Period.

Jabou Joh


In a message dated 3/3/03 1:21:13 PM Central Standard Time, [log in to unmask]
writes:


> Sister Mai Sey,
>
> Pilgrims are not usually not asked to leave the hotel or city  .
>
> The reason for them to be asked to leave is because the agents who book
> them in those hotels book only for a maximum number of days that are paid
> for in their contracts . When the time has expired ,naturally the hotel
> will extend rheir stay is someone pays for the accomodation especially as
> food is not as serious a problem as the accomodation is .
>
> The solution is arranging to pay those hotels. They do accept all major
> credit cards  . I perfoemed the Umrah a  couple of times and as long as you
> pay your hotel you can stay. EXception is expired visas and there are
> thousans and thousands in the mecca area with expired visas I am told .
> Maybe the government is now cracking down on that .
>
> My biggest concern is will they get their passports back as many hotels
> hold your passports until you pay cash or by credit card then they relaese
> the passports.
>
> In the mean time as someone suggested ( maybe Saul) if you have your loved
> ones the best thing you can do is to send them money there are western
> Union/ money centers  and many banks all over the city. I have seen them .
> It would be better for them to go to a specific center and let them give
> you their details (address /tel  etc auth codes /locations ) first.
>
> Regardless of what happens the organizers are to blame and should be
> responsible and reimburse the pilgrims for the extra expenses they incurred
>
> Wasalaam
>
> Habib
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: Mai Sey
> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Re: The Plight of the Hajj 2003 Pilgrims
> >Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2003 19:27:10 +0100
> >
> >Hi Ebrima,
> > This is very sad indeed. Not only are these pilgrims stranded
> >in Mecca but one must also have at the back of your mind that they are
> >finding it very tough out there. From previous years,I have been made to
> >learn that, as soon as the hajj is over, they are asked out of their
> hotels
> >and even out of the city. So whether their flights are around and ready or
>
> >not, they stay at the airport struggling for food and even sleep .Most of
> >them usually run out of cash and to send money for them is just
> impossible.
> >I really feel it for them and their families. Let's just pray for their
> safe
> >return home.
> >
> >Maikabir.
> >
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Ebrima Ceesay"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~