DUSHANBE, April 16, 2015, Asia-Plus -- The 94-year-old veteran of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 from the Roudaki district, Karim Qurbonov, says his last dream is to perform Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, and he hopes for President Rahmon’s support.

Karim Qurbonov and his son Fayzali Qurbonov came to the news agency Asia-Plus yesterday.  Fayzali Qurbonov said that all his efforts to send his father for Hajj were unavailing.

According to him, the Roudaki authorities refused to receive the application for Hajj from his father because Karim Qurbonov is over 80.  “But my father is in good health and if we receive support, I will accompany him,” Fayzali Qurbonov said.

It should be noted that age restrictions introduced for those who want to perform Hajj ban the hajj for citizens who are over 80.

We will recall that Tajik authorities has banned the hajj for citizens younger than 35.  The Committee on Religious Affairs and Regulation of National Traditions and Rituals under the Government of Tajikistan (CRA) announced the hajj restriction on April 13.

Afshin Muqimov, a spokesman for the CRA, says it is intended to give older Muslims a greater opportunity to undertake the hajj, as Saudi Arabia limits the number of pilgrims from each country annually.

For the first time the CRA introduced age restrictions on those who want to perform the Hajj on 2010.  Only citizens aged 18 to 80 were able to perform the Hajj.

This year, 6,300 Muslims from Tajikistan will able to perform the Hajj this year and the Hajj is expected to cost 3,600 U.S. dollars this year.