Image from London Central Mosque Trust & The Islamic Cultural Centre

London, (IINA) : It is expected that around 20,000 British pilgrims will be undertaking the journey of faith – the Hajj. It is the fifth pillar of Islam which is obligatory for every matured and able Muslim male and female who has the means to perform at least once in their lifetime.

The London Central Mosque Trust (LCMT) & The Islamic Cultural Centre (ICC) in Partnership with The Council of British Hajjis (CBHUK) held a UK Hajj briefing session recently ahead of the Hajj 2016, which will be taking place in September this year, London Central Mosque Trust reported.

Dr Ahmad Dubayan, director general of The LCMT & ICC, reaffirmed their commitment to working with the CBHUK. A list of action points was jointly launched by the two organizations offering guidance to the industry as well as community establishments when it comes to promoting licensed Hajj & Umrah packages.

Dubayan called for better industry practices to be followed and that it was in the interest of all parties to work together to ensure the sacred journey for pilgrims is of the highest standard. The event was supported by The LCMT & ICC, the civil aviation authority and city of London police and attended by the Hajj & Umrah tour operators and service providers.

From his side, Rashid Mogradia, CEO of the CBHUK, said: “It is important that Hajj and Umrah stakeholders delivering pilgrim services are aware of the challenges and issues facing pilgrims so that they can make the necessary provisions and put in place communication and emergency plans in case of any serious adverse events taking place.

We have embarked in delivering Hajj & Umrah seminars covering health and safety tips and advice for British pilgrims which have all been sell out events and we encourage prospective pilgrims to book themselves on this free course so that they derive maximum benefits on their journey of faith”.

The Council further emphasized the need for licensed and reputable tour operators to support the city of London police National Hajj Fraud Campaign and rid the industry of unscrupulous agents who were tarnishing the reputation of the industry and deliver value packages for the pilgrims.

Detective Constable Steven Kettle, from the city of London police, said “This national campaign is focused on the twin objectives of preventing Muslims from falling victim to Hajj fraud and encouraging those who unfortunately do to come forward and report to Action Fraud. The key to keeping the fraudsters at bay is to follow a few simple steps such as making sure the travel agency you are using is an ABTA member and ATOL protected. It is also vital to get everything in writing and once you have made a decision on which package to go for that you pay by credit card.”