The Hajj is an important aspect of Russia's participation in international religious processes, as many regions of the Russian Federation form an integral part of Islamic civilization.
The quota for Russian ummah is 20,500 pilgrims. However the number of people aspiring to visit the sacred places of Mecca and Medina grows every year, so the quota for North Caucasian republics has been increased. The Ingush authorities even created a special operative center for Hajj preparation. The number of pilgrims in Chechnya and Dagestan is also great.
According to Ingush President Yunus-bek Yevkurov, the intention to carry out Hajj is an indicator of the spiritual maturity of an individual. This pilgrimage, symbolizing catharsis of soul, requires thorough spiritual preparations.
This year, some 1500 pilgrims from Ingushetia are going to undertake the journey to sacred Muslim places in Saudi Arabia. 750 of them are going by land-transport, so they will be escorted by medical and security staff to the Russian border. Last year the pilgrims had to face some problems on the border because the buses’ condition didn’t correspond to international safety parameters. This year the authorities promise to solve the problem and provide the pilgrims with transport that meets the requirements of customs control.
The rest of the pilgrims will leave the Republic from Magas airport just like last year. This possibility was secured by Yunus-bek Yevkurov himself by mutual arrangement with Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin.
Pavel Tsoroev, Nazran, exclusively to VK
