Where is Imam Fasiegh Adams?
And how is it that the travel agent isn’t behind bars yet?
The Mecca tour operator has made headlines in the Daily Voice for the past few weeks, after he cancelled the trips of two umrah groups.
The 58 travellers from Strand and Mitchells Plain were meant to fly out on 25 December.
(Who would have thought the Grinch who stole Christmas could be an imam?)
Collectively, his clients paid some R1.3 million into the account of Madrassah Tul Uloom - a well-known charity in Mitchells Plain.
Some of the aggrieved pilgrims and their lawyer visited the Daily Voice’s offices to vent their anger and disappointment.
Aunties explained that they had worked, saved and sacrificed for years, only to be ripped off.
Moreover, they were furious at being denied the opportunity to undertake the pilgrimage to Islam’s Holy City.
(There must be a special place in jahannam [hell] reserved for crooks who do this).
The imam, meanwhile, has made himself missing and isn’t answering his phone.
His only response since the scandal broke - if you can call it a response - came this week, when some of the victims noticed their monies had been reimbursed.
At least eight out of the scores of clients have been refunded - which is a step in the right direction.
Whether this is an attempt on Adams’ part to redeem himself, or whether the
lawyers finally got to him, is not clear.
Still, there has been a crime here - and multiple victims - arrests need to be made, culprits have to be prosecuted and prevented from re-offending.
And a clear, public message needs to be issued to these sharks that they won’t be allowed to prey on devout Muslim mense.
That message should have come from the South African Hajj and Umrah Council (Sahuc). But it didn’t.
Sahuc told the Daily Voice that they know all about Adams and his exploits, and couldn’t understand “that people would still fall prey to him”.
Well, they are.
And clearly the imam has been allowed to continue running his racket.
According to its website, Sahuc’s aim and objectives include: “Taking effective measures in order to develop and implement sound policies and objectives in order to assist and solve both internal and external problems of South African citizens when undertaking the sacred journey of hajj and umrah.”
But have they assisted and solved the problems of these pilgrims - some of whom are elderly and soft targets for scammers? No.
These mense have had to get their own lawyers and fight their own battles.
REFUNDED: Victim Narima Hendricks
Sahuc added that they “did not have capacity in the past, that is now changed and [they] will be visiting the regulation of umrah”.
That is good news.
Let’s hope that regulation includes supporting our
pilgrims, and weeding out the rogue operators in the Hajj and umrah industry.
Inshallah, ameen.