COLOMBO: Muslims in Sri Lanka will not be able to perform Hajj this year as the island nation is facing its words economic crisis since its independence.
The decision was announced by the country’s pilgrimage organizers after consultation with the Muslim community.
Last month, Saudi Arabia allocated a quota of 1,585 to Sri Lanka for this year’s Hajj while around one million foreign and domestic Muslims performed the religious ritual during the pilgrimage season.
“When going through the prevailing situation and the suffering the people are undergoing in our Mother Lanka, members of both associations decided to sacrifice this year’s Hajj,” Arab News quoted All Ceylon Hajj Tour Operators Association and Hajj Tour Operators Association of Sri Lanka’s letter sent to the country’s Department of Muslim Religious Affairs.
It said that the decision has been taken due to “the severe dollar crisis facing the country.”
The island nation has already defaulted on its debts after it missed a deadline to repay foreign loans.
An official of the association said that this year’s Hajj operation will cost $10 million which is a big amount, adding that Muslims are sacrificing Hajj for the sake of the country.
