The chief imam in Tashkent, Anvar-qori Tursunov, has warned would-be Uzbek pilgrims to Mecca that they will be prevented from departing for the hajj pilgrimage if they do not pay their utility bills, UzReport news agency reported on June 29, quoting a statement made by the senior cleric statement at an Internal Press Club meeting.
"Even if you owe one som your pilgrimage won't be accepted," Tursunov was quoted as saying. "So we will not allow them to board the plane, because their hajj won't be acceptable." Muslims are generally required to pay off all debts before going on the hajj - however, no explicit ban exists preventing indebted muslims from performing the pilgrimage.
The Uzbek government has mobilised prosecutors and local governors to pursue the equivalent of around $1.2bn in unpaid gas and electricity bills from Uzbek citizens and businesses. While this type of debt campaign is nothing new for Uzbekistan, Tursunov’s words mark the first time the government has tried to use a religious authority to get Uzbeks to pay their utility dues.
Majority Muslim Uzbekistan tries to maintain careful control over citizens' travels to Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage.
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