Shadee Elmasry – Update on Hajj Visa Changes
![Shadee Elmasry](https://artwork.muslimcentral.com/shadee-elmasry-150x150.jpg)
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Me and Mecca books, we are very, very, we were really sad
yesterday. And I even heard that some veteran hedge leaders in
these companies were crying.
They were literally weeping and crying. Okay, because of what
happened. And what happened was that there was a rumor that was
not even a rumor. It was basically
it was a fact that the Saudis wanted to get involved directly
with the hedge. Pilgrims with the people who are attending hatch,
they wanted to have a direct way that you can go to hedge directly
through them, not through a middleman. Okay.
So we knew that was coming. Everyone knew that was coming. But
we also I think a lot of people also thought that the companies
would also be having their hedge ability to have their to do things
their way to, you mean that in other words, go through a company
for the simple reason that that's what people want. People like to
go with an imam that they know and they trust. Now, of course, some
people want to go by themselves. But I think a lot of people if you
ask them, would you like to go with a group of like minded
friends and, and a chef that you respect? Right, and that you want
to listen to? And you want to be in a hotel room with people that
you know, at least?
So most people have said, Yes. Plus, like these companies have
been running hedge groups for like 2530 years.
Nobody, I don't think anyone expected that they would actually
completely undercut all the companies. But this is the second
piece of news that we have for today is that the heads companies
are cut out of hedge completely. Right. And I had a phone call
yesterday that there was one of these veterans, literally, at his
kitchen table crying. Because it's not just his business, it's what
he loves. Right? And it's his relationships. And so you they go,
they go
on these hedge trips, imams, like most of the local Imams, they
can't afford to go on and regular Hajj. But if he's is he know how
to teach, he knows how to guide. So he goes like every three, four
or five years, right? That's done with no. Okay. So there are no
more hedge companies.
Saudi will only give hedge are give hedge visas directly to
individuals. Now, this is a very negative, there's a negative to
this, namely that people don't know how to make hedge, you're
gonna get there a complete stranger from the Ministry of
hedge is going to be your guide. And your people that you make Hajj
with are complete strangers, this never used to be unless you wanted
it to be groups in the past, come from Syria come from Egypt, you go
with your ship and your group, right?
You maybe you have another job. Right? Maybe you have an approach
to things. Now you're going to be stuck with some complete stranger
leading you you're hutch, who wants that. Now you're going to be
rooming. And being in a tent in Mina with complete strangers,
right? And don't think say Oh, well, I just was me for a bed
only, no, you're actually sharing a lot of intimate space. With
these people, you're on buses with them all, all the time you're on,
you're on what happens if you're like, you just don't want to be
with those types. You want to be with people like yourselves,
right.
That's why it was a really sad day. In my opinion, it was one of
those like things that
I didn't really get over it very quickly. And I don't want to get
over it. You know, one of those things that's like at the
appropriate response is just to sulk in it and be upset about it.
And I'm pretty upset about it, that there are no more of these
hedge groups. And so and also, first of all, for your own
benefit, are you gonna roll out a brand new software, which by the
way, is all out sourced from a Hindu company, not like Muslims
are running it all Hindus in the Emirates, so you're gonna put out
this new platform, which has never been used before, right away for
Hajj.
And on top of that, three weeks and on top of that, you just
cancelled the trips of everyone who's been sign up and waiting for
you for sometimes years because they were like wait listed during
COVID than waitlist and the next year that finally they get in this
year. And everyone's looking forward and you start your new
program by breaking the hearts of all these other people who would
just now they're gonna get refunded and stay home. Because
Because number one, they you can't just switch over to go to hajj on
their portal, which I'm going to tell you what the portal is
because so that you could try to make out it's by lottery.
So it's not even first come first serve. How's that fair? It's by
complete lottery. So you sign up. There's no information
Since there's no like pricing,
you don't know what you're gonna get, you just plug in a whole
bunch of information, they will send you if you got it or not,
who's going to do this three weeks out?
So, and this applies, by the way only to the English speaking
countries America, England, Canada, Australia,
rest of the world, they on normal
hedge in their own way. They're through their hedge mission of
their nations. So just tell me if you want to profit and you want to
defeat the hedge companies and you want to take the money out of
their hands and keep it all for yourself, cut out the middleman.
Why would you do this three weeks in advance? How does this make any
sense? Like no one is signing up to this three weeks in advance
except for a handful of people. The other smart thing to do would
be alright, let's use this software for a random ombre in
Jamaica Lulu, right? That would be the smart thing to do.
incentivize, hey, you go sign up for this. Use this website from
now on, like for this period of time, use this website, then you
can see if there are glitches. If there are challenges, there's
something called a soft opening for everything. There's a beta
version. Okay?
And then you and then you inform the heads companies.
Listen, I know this is not good news for you, but we're phasing
you all out, we want it all for ourselves. Give the guy a year or
two to adjust his business, right? Because Leah's huduma NFE Allah
whom it is permitted, to make money off of the process of hedge,
Allah says in the Quran, Leah shall do my nephew Allah so that
they can have Manasa. Why? Because go and hedge cost money. So it's
reasonable that the people who are going to go to hedge will need to
do some tea Jarrah at hedge to pay for the way back that was in the
old days. So in the old days, let's say you're coming from
Morocco, that's pretty far right. It's not like Egypt or Syria,
where it's not that bad. You go to Morocco, you go there, it might
take you a couple of months to get there. Because you're gonna have a
lot of stops on the way you get there. You finally get to hedge,
you might need to stay there a little bit, do some trade. Right
trade your nice beautiful goods from Morocco, sell it to the
people in hedge who are coming from all different countries that
are interested in your goods, that's going to pay your your way
back and put some more money in your pocket. Right? It's HUD
services is not free, giving people rides giving people a place
to stay feeding people. So it's a completely valid form of, of
business have to Giada. Now you're taking it from if you had a right
intention, wouldn't you be considered to these people? Right,
not on the very hedge that they planned. Okay.
They already planned it. It's not like you tell him three years out,
by the way, you're out in three years. So that means you got one
two hedges left, that's it, that would be fine. Because then we at
least we can prepare ourselves, we'll just will recalibrate our
entire lives, right? As a company, and we'll just start focusing on
ombre, we'll just start focusing on little chips to end the Lucy or
something like that. Not not, you're not gonna have a line out
the door. When people say a trip trip to Turkey, why would I pay
for a trip to Turkey? I can go to Turkey myself, why would I pay for
a company to go to enter Lucia? Right? It's whatever. Okay. So
these types of people.
It shows their intention to me, that you started this off by
literally breaking the hearts and breaking the banks of a whole
bunch of people. Right? With no concern. And you had no problem
given millions of dollars to this Hindu company into run company out
of the Emirates travel easy, not their fault, right. But it doesn't
make sense as a Muslim to use the hedge. Let's pay Hindus for the
services. And let's because we want to cut out Muslims.
It's just not the way that stuff should be the way things should be
done. But who are we kidding when we're talking about a group of
people that their track record is not exactly that great? Right and
Hamdulillah that, you know, if this if you are an Arab and you
said this on TV, they banned you from Hajj completely.
Now, there are some other ridiculous rules a woman can't go
with a Muslim. We know that because there's no groups anymore.
Now a woman could go technically to hedge without a motto, because
it's so fun to define her. But the Saudis don't allow this. So
it used to be you go with a group now you're going with a group from
your masjid, you're going to group from of pious people that you
know, and they serve as your group, your your your your
guardians, is that and that if there's any issues, now, you have
to go with a guardian within your family.
What
happens if a woman doesn't have family?
The group was her family. You don't think there are many
converts that don't have this? Right? A ton of converts have no
family, no mom to go with? What happens if the mom is an all men?
Now on top of this, there are two more rules to your Muharram. Rule
number one, he's got to be under the age of 65. No one over 65 is
gonna hedge. What if the guy is saving up? And he could only make
hedge when he was 66?
What if he just looked just made Toba? So you're cutting him out of
hedge? Ridiculous.
Rule number two.
Your Muharram cannot have made hedge for five years.
So no one can you can't you can only go every five years to hedge
according to this rule.
That's the rule.
Do they basically not want people to go because you actually made it
a lot harder. And any event? It's just
that let me give you the website just in case you guys want to make
hedge. And you want to try this out? Do it make hedge I mean, I
mean, if you this is the only way you could do it. Okay, Ryan write
this down for us. mot Aw, if moto with. And, you know, others may
irks me when they transliterate things wrong. M O TAWIF. Should be
mu, but it's alright.clm.sa.
And that's that's the website, you want to go make heads go on my
couch. So let me put it for the for the people on Insta, because
that thing only puts the comment on Facebook and
if you want to make ads, there it is Moto with.com. That essay,
let's take a look at what their website even looks like because we
can't tell the prices from it. It's not like they're just giving
you a package and then like some kind of
where they give you like, okay, basic intermediate.
Okay, we'll tell with is the exclusive online platform
authorized by the Saudi Ministry of hedge and ombre to offer hedge
services to Muslims in all of Europe, the United States of
America and Australia. Oh, wait a second. Where's Canada? Maybe
Canada's not even worth mentioning. But, I mean, if
Canada's out of this and groups are allowed to go to Canada, where
they probably just forgot it. Okay.
All right, owns the platform and has offered services to the
building for more than 40 years. Applicants register your
interests. This looks like a sock.
You know, like a youth soccer league application, first name,
last name, email, phone number, and the CAPTCHA. Okay, captcha,
whatever country of origin
Okay,
your hedge is only five steps away. And what's off is the online
official portal. To plan and initiate your hedge journey in
five simple steps fill in your application, submit your
documents. Oh, they're gonna give you a headache on the documents.
Draw selection after submission, a draw will be carried out
electronically to select candidates to perform Hajj. So
using again an email I guess, and if it goes to spam, you're out.
Make the Payment How much does it cost? How am I signing up for
something I don't know it's cost. Once you have been selected, you
will be contacted to choose your package. Does this make any sense
to you? That what if I have no clue what it costs then I get
selected and I say Hey, I'm priced out of this I can't charge I pay I
can't pay any of this.
And then we and then someone spot is taken. So you make the payment
and you select the package after you have inquired of your or put
in your interest. Then you get an E visa from Hutch for from the
Hajj ministry.
Okay,
man
such an upsetting thing.
Tech partner Travie Z. Let's go to the website of see who what who
who is that the partner
Travie Z let's see the names of these people. It's not their
fault, but it's our people who were essentially done who are have
no loyalty like to the like give keep the money within the OMA.
All right, the founders and the people behind Travie Z let's see
who they are. Where are their names.
Travie Z group is the group that runs this thing. All right, the
team.
Gate Behala
Rajab Panwar
Aakash good Aarthi
Archie good Gauri
Abdul Khan will good one Muslim of Jai Kumar Gupta.
Okay.
A couple Muslims not bad
All right, it's mixed but
the ownership is mainly is one Emirati and the rest are Hindus.
So it's mixed.
It's just something that's
so that's the news people. If you want to make hedge, get ready, go
to Mattel with.com.sa and good luck with your life after that.