"in the Name of God, the Caring for the Most, the Especially Caring"

We are petitioning Licensed Hajj Organisers (LHO) and the Ministry of Hajj & Umrah (MHU) to make it easier to return the rights of muslims following fraud and problems with Hajj/Umrah:

 "Certainly, I witnessed a pact of justice in the house of Abdullah ibn Jud’an. If I were called to it now in the time of Islam, I would respond. Make such alliances to return rights to their people. No oppressor should have power over the oppressed." [Source: al-Dalāʼil fī Gharīb al-Ḥadīth 243, Grade: Sahih]

Un/reported Hajj fraud is estimated to cost £2.5m each year! The Karim family paid over £35k to a MHU licensed and ATOL-protected Hajj organiser, but did not travel for the Hajj package that they booked in 2012. Visas were not issued in time for them. The real reason for this was an internal dispute between two businesses forced to merge in response to a Saudi Ministry of Hajj policy. 

The Karim family gave up hope to be refunded by the Hajj organiser after:

1. Action Fraud wrote: "reviewed the matter, and can say that the Police will be taking no further action in relation to an allegation of fraud ... it would be impossible to prove that at the time of taking your booking (and money) that the business did not intend to fulfill their side of the transaction ie provide travel" 
2. ATOL wrote: "the CAA (under the ATOL Licensing Scheme) has no direct jurisdiction over resolution of any form of contractual/civil dispute" 
3. the Hajj organiser closed after the MHU revoked its license and despite: "[the Hajj Organiser] did attend the hearing and tried to defend themselves but the judge awarded in the [Hajj-goer's] favour". They now trade from a PO Box address and bailiffs found no assets to seize.

Gareth Thomas, the Minister for Trade and Consumers Affairs called Hajj organisers to to a compliance summit on 16 July 2008 to make it easier return the rights of Hajj and Umrah-goers. BEIS reported: “Regrettably this met with little success as interest from the organisers tailed off”.

1st Resolve has created an online-claim-automating portal and designed a process of getting independent advice without going to Court that has the approval of senior judges and also BEIS. We are offering Hajj organisers a safe period of time to allow them to honour their legal obligations early. Footballers like Messi and Ronaldo avoid prison sentences by putting their tax affairs right. In contrast, the police and local authority trading standards officers are fining/seizing assets for themselves and ATOL also leaves victims without redress. 

HOW YOUR VOICE MATTERS

Your signature to this petition and comments about why you are signing can act as your response to calls for an alliance. One between the MHU and LHO and legal experts to help return the rights to Hajj and Umrah-goers. The only other community-based solution to refer complaints to politicians failed to launch so there continues to be little or no action since the intervention from the government ten years ago. 1st Resolve is waiting for a response to its December 2015 written proposal to MHU and LHO.