JEDDAH, 13 January 2004 — Makkah is free of contagious diseases, Prince Abdul Majeed, the governor of the Makkah region, has said, denying a press report to the contrary. “No contagious diseases have been detected in the holy city. The report is totally false,” the prince said.

Speaking to reporters after inspecting arrangements to receive pilgrims arriving at Jeddah Islamic Port, Prince Abdul Majeed said newspapers carrying the false reports were doing the community a great disservice. The governor, accompanied by Jeddah Governor Prince Mishaal ibn Majed and Transport Minister Dr. Jabara Al-Seraisry, received the first group of Sudanese pilgrims who came by ship. He also laid the foundation stone for the expansion of the seaport’s passenger lounges.

Haj Permits

Civil Status Department offices in various parts of the Kingdom have begun issuing Haj permits to Saudis who have not performed Haj in the past five years. Nasser ibn Hamad Al-Hanaya, assistant deputy minister for civil affairs, urged Saudi pilgrims desiring to perform Haj to deal with licensed domestic Haj service agents and get the necessary permits.

5,500 Russian Pilgrims

Around 5,500 Russian Muslims are expected to arrive for Haj in the next few weeks. This is almost 1,000 more than last year, the head of the Russian Council of Muftis, Ravil Gainutdin, said in Moscow. “Saudi Arabia had authorized up to 20,000 Russian Muslims to perform Haj but, because of economic reasons, the number is much lower,” Interfax news agency quoted Gainutdin as saying. The journey by air costs more than $1,500, and by land close to $1,400, the agency said. As in previous years, the majority of the pilgrims are expected to come from the southern republic of Dagestan.

Chechen Leader

The pro-Moscow president of the Chechen Republic, Akhmad Kadyrov, himself a former mufti, will head a large group of pilgrims from Chechnya. The Chechen Interior Ministry, which has begun issuing passports for the pilgrims, has received 1,500 requests from those wishing to make the journey.

Kadyrov was elected president of breakaway Chechnya in October in a poll that was widely regarded as slanted in his favor.

Taiwan Mission

A 25-member ROC Haj Mission led by Haj Salahuddin Ma, the managing director of Taiwan Muslim Association, will arrive at Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz Airport on Thursday. The delegation includes 14 women, a press statement said. “During their four-week stay in the Kingdom, the Taiwanese mission will meet with officials of the Haj Ministry, the Muslim World League and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth to discuss matters related to welfare, education and dawa,” the statement said.

According to Yunus Ma, the press officer at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Riyadh, there are more than 60,000 Muslims in Taiwan in addition to 90,000 Muslim workers from abroad.