ONLY criminals would have the heart to swindle farmers from Mojokerto, Blitar and Jombang out of their hard-earned savings, to make the umrah pilgrimage to the Holy Land. And only a weak government that cares nothing for the aspirations of its people would tolerate the wicked practice that victimizes hundreds of people from so many places in such a short time.

Given the lack of opportunities to make the haj pilgrimage-the waiting list is about 1