Naeem Tamim Al-Hakim

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

MAKKAH — Nearly 200,000 European pilgrims from 28 countries stood in the plain of Arafat on Thursday praying to Allah the Almighty along with two million faithful from other parts of the world. Turkey sent the largest number of 80,000 pilgrims to join the Tawafa Organization for Pilgrims from Turkey, Europe, America and Australia, while Ukraine sent the lowest 50 pilgrims.

According to statistics obtained by Okaz/Saudi Gazette from relevant authorities, the second largest contingent of European pilgrims came from the UK (25,200), followed by Russia 23,700, France 21,200, and Germany 11,000. Hajis from 12 European countries including Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Belarus, Slovakia, Armenia, Iceland, Cyprus and Macedonia were absent.

“Seventeen European Union members have sent their pilgrims for this year’s Haj while Hajis from 12 members of the union are absent,” an informed source told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

Tariq Anqawi, chairman of the Tawafa Organization for Pilgrims from Turkey, Europe, America and Australia, said many pilgrims from eastern and southern Europe did not come for Haj as a result of economic crisis and declining exchange rate of Euro.

“Albania sent only 510 pilgrims for the second year in a row after that European country used to send more than 2,000 pilgrims for the annual event,” Anqawi told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

He said some European countries have completed the quota of Hajis this year and it shows their economic stability. Azerbaijan, for example, sent 3,100 pilgrims from a quota of 4,500. “This figure is significant because last year only 1,050 Azerbaijanis came for Haj,” he added.

Anqawi denied suggestions that some European countries sent more pilgrims to compensate the fall in pilgrims from other countries. Some countries in the group sent only 10 pilgrims, which is much lower than their annual quota of Hajis set by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.