Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK

Every year over 50,000 British pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj & Umrah. 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 Phil Hunt (Health Minister), Lord Nazir Ahmed, Steve McCabe MP and representatives from Saudi & other Embassies launching Hajj & Umrah Awareness week at House of Lords

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.