Indonesian Hajj Minister Suspects Sabotage in Tent Chaos

During the Hajj pilgrimage, Indonesian pilgrims faced disarray in tent arrangements in Arafah and Mina due to deliberately removed placement lists. Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, revealed that despite the ministry's efforts to affix lists for order, unknown individuals intentionally removed them, creating confusion.

"We had tried to put up lists of names, but they were always removed. There was disorder, some people tried to tear them down and then disrupt the order, and the same happened in Mina," Simanjuntak stated on Saturday. He believes this was not a mere technical issue but a deliberate act by certain groups to sow chaos and make the tent management appear disorganized.

Further complicating the pilgrimage, disruptions also occurred in Muzdalifah. The queuing system for pilgrims, including those using the 'murur' (passing through) option, was hampered by impatience and incitement from individuals on the ground. Simanjuntak acknowledged the need for improvement in managing queues and preventing provocations.

In response to these incidents, the ministry is committed to a thorough evaluation and will enhance supervision for future Hajj operations. Simanjuntak emphasized the need for increased firmness and unity among field staff to counter any attempts to disrupt the pilgrimage. "This means officers must be firmer, officers must be more cohesive in addressing the problems that have arisen in recent years," he said.