Indonesia cancels haj pilgrimage again due to pandemic

In this photo taken on May 13, 2021, Indonesian Muslims attend a mass prayer session at the Great Mosque of Baiturrahman in Aceh.- Reuters

JAKARTA (Reuters): Indonesia has cancelled the haj pilgrimage for people in the world's largest Muslim-majority nation for a second year in a row due to concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic, the religious affairs minister said on Thursday (June 3)

For many Indonesians, the religious pilgrimage is a once-in-a-lifetime event, with the average wait time 20 years due to a quota system, according to the country's cabinet secretariat.