LONDON, 10 February — British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has offered his government’s full support for the British Muslims taking part in this year’s Haj. While seeing off the third British delegation to the Haj, Straw said: "We were the first historically Christian state to provide this service to our Muslim citizens." He added that one out of 10 British pilgrims had sought the help of the delegation in the previous years.
This year, some 20,000 British Muslims are expected to perform Haj. "We are contributing 20,000 pounds toward the cost of the delegation and, as in previous years, three of our Muslim staff are taking part in the delegation alongside doctors and counselors. The Haj delegation is an important example of the partnership which this government determined to build with Muslim communities," Straw said while addressing the delegation at Regent’s Park Mosque in London.
