On March 1, 2024, the Hajj and Umrah Fund Workshop, organized in cooperation with the Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, the Presidency of Religious Affairs and Ibn Haldun University Islamic Economy and Finance Application and Research Center, was held at the Media and Events Center Event Hall. During the workshop, issues such as the organization of Hajj and Umrah in Turkey, Hajj fund practices in the world, and Hajj and Umrah fund model proposals for Turkey were analyzed.
The workshop, which was organized to carry out consultations among stakeholders on the action item titled "Establishment of the Hajj, Umrah and Sacrifice Fund", which is planned to be implemented under the coordination of the Presidential Finance Office (CBFO), aimed to take decisions that will enable significant and effective steps towards Hajj and Umrah activities.
In his welcoming remarks, Prof. Göksel Aşan, Head of the Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, stated that one of the two main themes of the Istanbul Finance Center project is Islamic finance and the other is financial technologies, and emphasized the importance of producing theoretical knowledge on Islamic finance applications. Aşan reminded that Our University and the Finance Office of the Presidency had previously carried out valuable work in this context. Stating that this theoretical infrastructure will carry Turkey to a privileged place among the world's financial centers, Aşan concluded his speech by noting that it is among the main goals to carry out the work on the Hajj and Umrah Fund in the fastest and most efficient way possible.
After Prof. Göksel Aşan, Prof. İrfan Gündüz, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of our University, touched upon the perfection of the systematic functioning of the hajj and umrah policies of Sultan Abdulhamid II. Stating that in the 19th century world, one of the most powerful weapons of Abdulhamid II against those who were looking for an opportunity to intimidate and destroy the Ottoman Empire was the pilgrimage, Prof. Gündüz said that the journey of the Surre Procession from Istanbul to Haremeyn, consisting of leading intellectuals of the society such as diplomats, jurists, physicians and scientists, was the result of the diplomatic intelligence of Abdulhamid II. In his speech, in which he mentioned that Abdulhamid II's diplomatic intelligence lies behind the journey of the Surre Procession, he talked about how the Ottoman Empire kept all the initiatives in its hands until the next Surre Procession journey thanks to the evaluation meetings held after these people, who were active in every field of science, returned to the capital by carrying their observations in the holy lands with them. Prof. Gündüz mentioned that today, this function of Hajj has been eliminated; its social, economic and political character has been destroyed and it has been reduced to an individual worship, and conveyed his wishes to the Presidential Finance Office for the Hajj and Umrah Studies to reinstate this function of Hajj.
Prof. Gündüz concluded his speech by stating that he sincerely believes that the Hajj and Umrah Fund action item will yield extremely beneficial results.
Our Rector Prof. Atilla Arkan, in his greeting speeches, stated that he personally observed the professionalism of Malaysia, where mutual consultations will be held within the scope of the workshop, in the field of Hajj and Umrah organizations during his visit in the 90s and expressed his hope that they will help us with their knowledge in finance, experience and all other issues. Prof. Arkan concluded his speech by wishing that Hajj and Umrah services in Turkey will get better and better in the coming years.
The Hajj and Umrah Fund Workshop continued with the sessions titled "Hajj and Umrah Organization and Basic Issues" moderated by Dr. Nihat Gümüş, Faculty Member of Management Sciences, and Hüseyin Demirhan, Head of Hajj and Umrah Services Department of the Presidency of Religious Affairs.
In the program, which continued with the online panel titled "Hajj Fund Practices in the World", the "Hajj and Umrah Fund Model Proposal", which was studied by the Finance Office, was presented. In the program, two panels were organized to discuss the jurisprudential and practical aspects of the proposed model, as well as its technical and legal aspects, and consultations were held by the panelists.
The consultations held at the workshop are planned to be organized as a report and presented as a guiding document for the relevant institutions in the establishment of the Hajj and Umrah Fund.
