Assalamu aleikum.
Earlier news item: GHANA HAJJ BOARD ABANDONS PILGRIMS TO ABJECT POVERTY http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamiccommunitynet/message/7877 --- Sorting out the Hajj mess Editorial Accra Daily Mail (Ghana) Wednesday, February 09, 2005 http://www.accra-mail.com/mailnews.asp?id=12039 Moslems and non-Moslems alike in Ghana agree on one thing: the organization of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca is porous. Our lead story yesterday on the subject, not surprisingly, attracted much public interest. What many people do not know however is that it is not a new development. For as far back as living memory would stretch, Ghanaian pilgrims have always complained about the hardships that their agents and the Hajj Board have been putting them through. We need not go over those here. Now the question is: What can we do to improve things? We have a few suggestions. These include the following. 1. A permanent Hajj Company organised in line with Ghana's Companies Code. 2. A Board of Directors to perform supervisory functions and a Chief Executive or Secretary General to run the company. 3. Permanent secretariat with the appropriate secretarial, operational, accounting, research and administrative staff. 4. Seed capital to be provided by the government and other relevant stakeholders 5. Organization to be divided into two sectors: Northern and Southern. The northern sector can be based in Tamale, which has an airport with a long enough runway to accommodate big planes. 6. Strict accounting and auditing conventions to be adhered to. In short, we must be more professional. The Ad hoc approach has not worked and so must be discarded. It is not an envious record for a country to have as being responsible for 30% of the problems experienced by the Saudi authorities before, during and after the Hajj. Ghana has developed that reputation. There is no time to waste. Vice President Aliu Mahama has already given the assurance that, there would now be a permanent body to handle Hajj affairs. Now's the time. Let's see action! http://www.accra-mail.com/mailnews.asp?id=12039 __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease? Network for Good is THE place to support health awareness efforts! http://us.click.yahoo.com/UwRTUD/UOnJAA/i1hLAA/TXWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *************************************************************************** {Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy Quran-16:125) {And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33) The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all." [Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] -------------------------------------------------------------------------- All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title "change to daily digest". Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
