Umrah visa for Sri Lankans: Some problems

Sri Lankan Umrah pilgrims face numerous difficulties, and problems due to the unhelpful attitude of the staff at the Saudi Embassy in Colombo. They are not equipped to handle a sudden influx of applicants.

The applicants will have to hang around in a sort of cattle shed outside the embassy.

The online agents who apply for visas are not called up by the embassy from time to time to be briefed on new regulations. The Ministry of Haj changes rules so very often.

1. Agents have to submit names and passport details and other information through the Haj Ministry online system to get the approval for visa. This is called the MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). They issue a number after applying online. Having obtained the MOFA number, the agents have to wait 15 hours to download the electronic visa number. If it is Thursday and Friday (nonworking days in Saudi Arabia) the local agents cannot access to the Haj Ministry website to obtain the electronic visa number. The rest of the world works on these days and they do not work on Saturdays and Sundays. If one is outside the Kingdom, one cannot transact any business on four out of the seven days in the week.

Now we come to the MOFA application form, which requires the names of applicants...

There are four name categories to fill but you need to fill only two names. It is accepted if two names are filled along with the rest of the applicants' personal and passport details.

It issues the local agent with the MOFA number. Then the local agents log into the Ministry of Haj site to obtain the "e-number" after 15 hours.

After all this "online", high-tech" processing, when the local agent applies to the Saudi Embassy in Sri Lanka, they refuse to accept the two names in the passport, which the Saudi Ministry of Haj has accepted on "their system". Any other country would have taken their embassy to task.

The local agent appeals, virtually pleads to the Saudi official that the applicant has only 2 names in the birth certificate (issued at the time one is born by the Government Authority) and no additional names could be included, he is not moved, does not care.

He says, " I don't care; get some name included."

Then the local agent brings back the passport and informs the applicant of the position.

The applicant goes to the Sri Lankan Passport Authority and explains the situation. They reluctantly add the grandfathers' name as an additional endorsement on a separate page.

Having done this, the local agent has to re-apply for the visa, going through the entire process as in the first instance.

This entails the applicant having to pay the local agent twice as the handling fee, which he is being charged by his agent in Saudi Arabia.

Once again the local agent has to obtain the "e-visa number" and submit it to the Saudi Embassy. Then they issue the visa.

This obviously shows that the Foreign Ministry and the Haj Ministry are not coordinating.

This happened recently to an individual I know, and family who had to keep on changing "his leave from work" and flights about three times.

Here is another case, where the applicant had two similar names.

His name, for example, is Ahmed, Father's name Ahmed and another name Mohamed...(He met the embassy requirement)

This time the Saudi official refused to accept the application since he is carrying two similar names. Now, how does one solve this?

Since he met the three-name criteria, the local agent sent the applicant to the embassy.

The applicant showed his Dubai visa carrying two similar names and his other name and also he showed his business card and told this official that he had no other names. They accepted his explanation and issued the visa.

20 Maldivian nationals were refused, for having two names in the passport and their passports had to be taken back to Maldives to add another name and the local agent had to incur big losses.

Why all this hassle?

There has to be a lot of rethinking, and planning to make things easier for the "Guests of Allah."

Eng. Ismaeel Marikar, Colombo, Sri Lanka, published 30 June 2009

Pakistan’s anti-terror fight

Coming late though it did, the Pakistan Army’s action against the Taleban in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Swat and other regions of the northern province was a good beginning. But news from Azad Kashmir shows indifference on the part of the authorities to fight terrorism and militant outfits. According to news reports, several so-called jihadist organizations have swung into action in Kashmir especially in Neelum Valley which is close to the Line of Control. These organizations are reportedly setting up their camps in collaboration with the local authorities on the pretext of building madrasas and schools.

Authorities in Pakistan need to realize that the Kashmir issue can’t be resolved through proxy war or by covert operations. Pakistan Army is already heavily engaged fighting Taleban and cannot afford to open another front on its eastern borders. People in both India and Pakistan have suffered a great deal since the subcontinent’s partition in 1947 as funds for education, health care and development were being consistently diverted to strengthen the armed forces. Due to a fragile and dependent economy, Pakistan has been a great loser in this conflict. The government is always short of funds for the needy because it has to meet the requirements of the armed forces and defense needs.

The way forward is in reconciliation between India and Pakistan — which Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former President Pervez Musharraf were working on till 2006. The plan envisaged withdrawal of forces from both parts of Kashmir and the opening the borders for free movement and trade. New governments in Pakistan and India should take up this unfinished job. However, the re-establishment of jihadist camps in Azad Kashmir is detrimental to the peace process. It will not only derail it but also promote hostility.

Masood Khan, Jubail published 1 July 2009

Media coverage of Iran

The coverage of the Iranian elections and the subsequent protests by the Western media, especially the American and British media, exposes the double standard, moral bankruptcy and hypocrisy of the Western nations.

Where were these protagonists of democracy and human rights when Israel unleashed war on Gaza, ruthlessly killing and maiming hundreds of Palestinian civilians. The same media lacked enthusiasm and zeal in their coverage of Israeli war crimes in Gaza and Lebanon, NATO's airstrikes against innocent villagers in Afghanistan or American war crimes in Iraq. These so-called civilized Western nations are the most hypocritical ones in the world. They practice double standard when it comes to promoting freedom, human rights and justice. The treatment meted out to Muslims in the West after the 9/11 incident speaks volumes about the West’s doublespeak.

Iran’s bid to acquire nuclear energy has upset the West but when it comes to Israel possessing nukes, (although undeclared but known to everyone), no one raises any objection.

Despite so much clamor about Israeli atrocities on Palestinians, nothing has happened. Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu has been defying all international calls to stop settlement expansion. The international community when dealing with Tel Aviv does nothing except make meaningless noise. It is time the world community acted together to get justice for the Palestinians.

Samaoen Osman, South Africa published 1 July 2009

Media coverage of Iran 2

Uri Avnery in his article “Between Tel Aviv, Tehran” (June 29) says it makes no sense at all to deny Ahmadinejad’s victory. Another respected and credible journalist, Robert Fisk of “The Independent” newspaper reporting from Iran said he had no doubt that Ahmadinejad had been re-elected. The violent demonstrations in Iranian cities by the defeated reformist candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and his supporters suggest that Mousavi’s vote base is limited to Tehran and a few other cities unlike Ahmadinejad’s countrywide support from the masses. In the meantime, we hear voices from the Western capitals denouncing the election and showing sympathy for the protesters. What hurts us most is the absence of these voices when the Palestinians are mercilessly massacred in Gaza by Israel.

The election issue is entirely an internal matter of Iran and it is not right for other countries to make statements to encourage violent demonstration by the protesters, especially when those demonstrations put the protesters’ lives at risk. If we study the ground reality in Iran, we will see that this is a battle between the vocal minority in the cities and the silent majority in the countryside.

In a recent issue of Haaretz, the Israeli daily, it was reported that an Iranian professor closely connected with the defeated candidate Mousavi had said that if Mousavi were elected he would backtrack on Iran’s nuclear ambition. So, isn’t that enough a reason for Israel and the West to support Mousavi? However, as far as the election results are concerned, Ahmadinejad has won by a majority and that is the fact.

S.H. Moulana, Riyadh published 1 July 2009

Indian school

This refers to Arab News report “Indian school teachers walk out to press for salary raise” (June 30).

Finally the cat is out of the bag. It would be better if the Indian school solved its problems internally without going public. There are many other issues that need to be addressed. Canteen facilities for students are poor and need to be upgraded. The Air-conditioning system is faulty, transportation is not what it should be etc. The school should address these issues and resolve them before it is too late. The staff should be properly motivated to do their jobs with professionalism. These would help in improving the standards of the school.

Mohammed Sadullah Khan, Riyadh published 1 July 2009

Need for burqa

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has made derogatory remarks against the burqa, calling it a sign of subservience and debasement. How can the burqa that protects a woman from the lustful gaze of strange men be a sign of debasement? The burqa is a sign of modesty. People who attack the veil are those who promote nudity.

They probably consider the hijab a threat to their culture. It is surprising that societies that encourage nudity and pornography are lecturing Muslims on women’s dignity.

It is not the Islamic veil but Western culture that debases women. The burqa gives women dignity. You will find Muslim women working as doctors, nurses and teachers while wearing the veil. How can they be called “prisoners behind a screen cut off from all social life and deprived of all identity,” as the French president said. Today when women are so often subjected to sexual assaults, the veil can serve as a deterrent. Today more and more female converts to Islam are wearing the veil because of doing so, they feel themselves safe.

Anwar Hussain, Mumbai, India published 1 July 2009