Refleksi: Departemen Agama [Depag] dan MUI pengatur jemah haji. Membiarkan jemah haji ditipu menunjukkan adanya kongkalikong bisnes. Kejadian semacam ini bukan pertama kali dan oleh karena itu tuntutan Depag dan MUI dibubarkan adalah wajar.
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=105212&d=2&m=1&y=2008&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom The Middle East's Leading English Language Daily Wednesday 2 January 2008 (24 Dhul Hijjah 1428) Myths Abound on Jeddah's Monuments Galal Fakkar, Arab News - JEDDAH, 2 January 2007 - With the conclusion of the Haj, foreign pilgrims are flocking to the Bride of the Red Sea for sightseeing with Jeddah's renowned monuments being a particular attraction. Since last week, Haj operators, especially the Indonesian ones, in cooperation with local tourist companies, are providing pilgrims an opportunity to visit various parts of Jeddah. As days go by the number of pilgrims visiting the city have been increasing. Day trips to Jeddah are usually pretty similar. Visitors start off with a stroll down the Corniche, followed by visits to Jeddah's historic area, including Abruq Al-Raghama, the place where King Abdul Aziz camped on entry into Jeddah. Visitors also come to see the gigantic bicycle located at the bicycle roundabout in the Al-Faisaliya district, Eve's (Hawa) Cemetery in the Ammariya neighborhood and the Fatima Al-Zahra Mosque on the Corniche, which has been built in the Red Sea. All of these sites are considered the most important spots to visit in Jeddah. Tour operators are known to exaggerate information about these sites and myths abound among pilgrims, who often come from the rural areas of developing or underdeveloped countries. A particular favorite is the myth that the gigantic bicycle in Al-Faisaliya is Adam's bicycle. As a result some tourists are known to pray at the site. Pilgrims are also told that the Fatima Al-Zahra Mosque is built above the grave of Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), something that is completely untrue. Hassan Saqr, a tour operator, said that the absence of regulations in the field of tourism and unqualified personnel has resulted in guides making things up to entertain the visitors. "The Supreme Commission for Tourism should directly supervise all tourism programs in order for the work to be accredited and to prevent fraud," he said. Sadiq Osman, an Indonesian pilgrim, said he paid an additional SR300 to his Haj fees to come and visit Jeddah. Mohammed Assir, another Indonesian pilgrim, said, "The tour around Jeddah is short. We don't seem to be getting the most out of the money. Most Haj and Umrah groups add these trips to their schedules." Assir said the tour took only around four to six hours. "Also, they don't give enough information about Jeddah's monuments. Instead they just let us wander in markets and on the Corniche. We don't even get to visit all of the monuments and museums in the city," he added.
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