Russian Moslems wishing to perform a Hadj to Mecca and Medina over the January 19-22, 2005 period will face a number of problems

Sunday, February 28, 2021

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You see, those wishing to travel by bus or car might never leave Russia. Talking to Vremya Novostei, Hadj council representative Akhmed Bilalov noted that bus-and-car routes linked Russia and Saudi Arabia via Dagestan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Syria and Jordan. President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation has issued his special instruction on closing the border between Dagestan and Azerbaijan after the Beslan tragedy. 3,000 Russian pilgrims may gather next year; 2,000 people visited Mecca and Medina in early 2004. A two-week Hadj costs some $1,300-1,800 (air-ticket prices included), Bilalov explained. Meanwhile those travelling by bus or car usually spend $800-900. Those pilgrims, who can't afford to buy air tickets, should expect heightened attention on the part of border guards and passport-visa services this year. According to Bilalov, quite a few Moslems could not leave for Mecca on time last year because the Interior Ministry had drawn up their documents rather slowly. Tougher anti-terrorist measures are currently being implemented; that's why it will take even more time to screen all pilgrims, especially those from the North Caucasus. Those returning home may also face various problems. For instance, some Russian pilgrims tried to bring in "provocative literature" from Saudi Arabia last year. In a bid to avoid unpleasant incidents involving border guards, the Russian Hadj council has asked the concerned Saudi agencies to prevent the dissemination of Wahhabi ideologists' literature among Russian visitors

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