Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK
Every year over 25,000 British pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj and over 100,000 travel to perform Umrah (Lesser Hajj). Unfortunately there
is accumulated evidence that
British Hujjaj experience significant
difficulties and problems due
to ignorance, lack of awareness of
pre-travel Health & Safety precautions
and understanding of the
needs of good preparation of the
journey to perform Hajj & Umrah
in safe and best possible manner.
The tragic accidents that took place
during Hajj in recent years, where a
substantial number of Hajj pilgrims
lost their lives including over 12
British Hajj pilgrims due to stampede
and road accident and over 20
tragic deaths due to meningitis outbreak
amongst returnee British Hajj
pilgrims caused a great amount of
grief and distress to the community
in UK. They were all shocked and
extremely saddened by these heartbreaking
human disasters.
|
Lord Nazir Ahmed, Minister Lord Phil Hunt OBE, Steve McCabe MP
and John Hemming MP with the Executive Committee of ABH
and representatives from other Government departments. |
Feeling the pain of these
tragedies and realising the importance
of proper preparation for
Hajj, there was a desperate need to
make appropriate arrangements to
promote Health & Safety awareness
to prevent any future loss of
human life amongst British Hajj
pilgrims. The Association of
British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK
(A.B.H) the only Hajj specific
organisation and a National charity
was formed in 1998 by professionals,
senior doctors, religious scholars,
and people from all walks of
life to research and develop a positive
plan to address these issues.
Some of the objectives of this
organisation are:
To organise high profile publicity
campaigns involving regional
and national media to promote
awareness.
To organise seminars, conferences and other educational training
programmes.
To influence and work with the
concerned authorities to co-ordinate
their efforts for the welfare of
the British pilgrims.
To explore the effective and
practical ways to minimise hardship
and problems witnessed by the
effected Hujjaj.
To produce and distribute
leaflets, booklets, posters and
audio-visual materials, consisting
of appropriate information on
Health & Safety related issues.
Ever since its foundation in
1998, A.B.H has made many
achievements including setting up a
British Hajj delegation by the
Foreign Office to provide healthcare,
welfare and support services,
such as bereavement, lost pilgrims,
loss of luggage, passport, flight
tickets and money etc. for British
Hujjaj in Makkah in Saudi Arabia.
The first ever British Hajj delegation,
headed by Lord Ahmed of
Rotherham, went to Saudi Arabia
to help British pilgrims in Makkah
during the Hajj period in 2000. This
delegation has dedicated services to
the British Hajj pilgrims on annual
basis each year since 2000.
A.B.H has been working hard
by running extremely successful
high profile publicity campaigns to
update and provide information
regarding health and safety matters
to the community, especially
amongst those from relatively lesser
educational background. Senior
doctors provide regular updates on
health related issues, including meningitis through multi-lingual
seminars, radio and TV talks organised
by the A.B.H through extensive
press coverage. Printed literature
to this effect is also regularly
distributed amongst the community,
especially to the intended pilgrims.
A.B.H thankfully wish to place
on record, a special letter message
in appreciation of the services rendered
to the Muslim community,
from the Prime Minister on the eve
of the annual Hajj Umrah conference
2000-2001!
The press has quoted "These
seminars seem to have gone down
well with the pilgrims and the Hajj
tour operators. There was a crying
need for such type of seminars and
the ABH is indeed doing a great
job".
All the Muslims TV channels
and Press carried out our campaign's
message and information
and specifically there was good
coverage to Awareness Week
Launch at House of Lords, seminars
in London, Birmingham,
Manchester, Bradford and
Glasgow.
We were overwhelmed by the
success of our campaign and the
appreciative and encouraging
response from the community. Our
joint efforts, along with the
Department of Health, have proven
a great success, and since then,
there is no loss of life in this country
due to meningitis outbreaks
amongst the British pilgrims.
A.B.H took a remarkable initiative
to launch first ever National
Hajj Umrah (Health & Safety)
Awareness Week in December
2004. It was launched by Lord
Ahmed of Rotherham (Patron of
A.B.H) at the House of Lords. This
prestigious event was attended by
diplomats, community leaders, TV
and media journalists including
Lord Phil Hunt, Minister of Health;
Ambassador of Saudi Arabia,
Ambassador and High
Commissioner of Brunei
Darussalam, Grand Mufti of
Albania and representatives from
the Syrian and Egyptian embassies.
Since then, this National Hajj & Umrah awareness week is being
held across the UK once every
year.
The Executive Committee of
A.B.H is comprised of devoted,
dedicated and hard-working professionals
who are very much committed
to this noble cause to provide
services to humanity on voluntary
basis. The association will continue
to make every effort to fulfil
its desired objectives in the coming
years.
