The Islamic Cultural Centre (ICC) together with the Ministry of Arts & Culture should publish the list of all the 1,300 names which have been selected to perform the Hajj Pilgrimage in 2026. From the way those names have been selected by the Board of the ICC, discontented people are not happy with such a selection. This is what many people, especially those who have not been selected, want to know.
The Islamic Cultural Centre therefore needs to show transparency, empathy, consistency, and to be open to the public.
(1) Publish the names of all the 1,300 future potential Hajees (Pilgrims) who have been selected and their status.
(2) How many times have they performed or not performed the Hajj pilgrimage in the past?
(3) How long have their names been on the waiting list?
(4) Are there some Hajj Guides who are also part-time Muslim Priests who have been paid large sums of money by their client pilgrims for their names to be given special attention and be selected for the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage? It must be noted that those Hajj Guides are fully involved in the Hajj business, which costs a lot of money. Some of them charge over Rs 150,000 per head for each pilgrim within their groups. This is how they make money through greed. There should be a law to stop this sort of daylight robbery.
(5) Is there a public perception that those 1,300 persons who have been selected to do their Hajj pilgrimage in 2026 have jumped the gun at the expense of others who have been waiting for over 6 to 7 years on that list? Could the ICC Board clarify that to clear any suspicious ambiguity?
(6) Give us the list of the 1,300 selected potential Hajees (Pilgrims) who will go in 2026 and how much money they have paid or will pay to their Agents or Organisers.
(7) Give us the names of certain Hajj Guides who normally get the lion’s share of benefits in the Hajj Pilgrimage Business. By the way, did you know that one of the Hajj Guides has a close acquaintance with an ex-Minister of the MSM in our Republic?
(8) Could the ICC Board tell us how many people on the Hajj waiting list have died recently and how long their names had been on that waiting list?
(9) Am I right to say that there are two regular Hajj Guides who are owners of luxurious villas on the coast of Mauritius? Why can’t the MRA or the Police/FCC investigate this matter and their source of income as part of combating money laundering?
Last but not least, am I right to say that one of the Hajj Guides, who is also a rich Pakistani Priest residing in Mauritius for donkey’s years, got married to an 11-year-old girl when he was in his 30s? This wedding ceremony was performed in Mauritius. The brother of that 11-year-old girl stood as a witness. By the way, the 11-year-old girl came from a poor family in Mauritius. Would it not be a good idea for the Ministry of Women and Gender to look into that matter to rule out any paedophile criminal offence on the soil of Mauritius?
Both the Islamic Cultural Centre and the Ministry of Arts and Culture need to clear any areas of discrepancies and ambiguities (if any) on the Hajj issue, as well as on any participant who is directly or indirectly involved in the business of the Hajj Pilgrimage. Let us hope both the ICC and the Ministry of Arts and Culture will do their best to enhance the trust the population puts in them. Let us remember that building trust is an ongoing process that involves open communication, transparency, empathy, and consistency.
By Ahmad Macky
