SRINAGAR: The Haj Committee of India (HCOI)- a statutory body of the Ministry of External Affairs-has issued an advisory asking pilgrims to refrain from carrying Viagra, sexual oil and creams, and items such as pornography material and narcotics, among other things.
This, according to the Hajj Committee CEO, Attaur Rahman, has been done in view of past violation of norms. Despite issuing guidelines and holding training sessions, there have been specific instances from certain embarkation points during Haj 2013 and 2014, where pilgrims have been caught with sexual stimulants like Viagra tablets, sexual oil, creams, etcetera. This is a very serious issue, which needs to be dealt with seriously,” the advisory said.
“Despite the divine commandments that no illegal activities should be carried out during Haj, some pilgrims in the past were found to be smuggling in items like Viagra, sexual oil and creams and many other things, which are banned in Saudi Arabia. We have inserted this advisory in the Haj application forms too,” said Rahman.
The advisory, however, has not gone down well with a section of community leaders who have implied that the blanket ban is bizarre.”People go on Haj not to seek pleasure, but to perform some rituals as commanded by Allah. During Haj, the pilgrims abstain from sex. A general advisory against carrying items like Viagra and sexual oil will mean as if this is common practice and only shows how certain officials paint Muslims as sex maniacs who cannot do without sex even during Haj,” said M A Khalid of All India Milli Council.
A cross section of Muslim opinion has also decried the ban as bizarre and an insult to general Muslim sensibility on social media.
The other prohibited things include khash-khash, synthetic capore, cystone, khammera, gutkha, khaini, gul, piper mint or narcotics in any form, political literature and even photographs. People found carrying these items are liable to punishment including life imprisonment and even death penalty.
“People go on Haj not to seek pleasure, but to perform some rituals as commanded by Allah. During Haj, the pilgrims abstain from sex. A general advisory against carrying items like Viagra and sexual oil will mean as if this is common practice and only shows how certain officials paint Muslims as sex maniacs who cannot do without sex even during Haj”
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