Huson (third from left) and Layla flanked by their team of nurses at the Mina Health Center 14. (AN photo by Hassna’a Mokhtar)

MINA, 19 December 2007 — Hours after midnight on Monday, the first groups of Haj pilgrims flowed out of Mina, heading to Arafat. The pilgrims’ movement out increased considerably into yesterday morning. By 9:30 a.m., fewer than 500 pilgrims were left in Mina. Touring Mina on foot, Arab News found the streets deserted except for the garbage and litter which were the only signs of the crowds that had filled the area the previous day.

Heading toward Jamrat, lines of African pilgrims waited for their transportation to Arafat. The anticipation and tension of the wait made our approach most unwelcome. A buxom middle-aged African woman draped in white robes with a white turban wrapped around her head was loud and articulate as she made impatient gestures pointing at the passing buses. She didn’t welcome our approach either. Turning the left hand corner onto King Abdul Aziz Bridge, privately-owned pick-up trucks, vans and GMCs drove by stopping here and there, now and then, their drivers calling out, “Arafat, Arafat, Arafat.” We walked up to one of the vehicles as pedestrian pilgrims rushed toward it and asked if we could catch a ride as well. We were waved away because we were unescorted women.

Continuing our way to Jamrat, fully aware that as a ritual we were more than 24 hours before the time, none of the officers whom we paused and asked for directions questioned us. Only the last officer before the immediate entrance into the Jamrat area asked with a smile, “Are you back from Arafat already?”

According to Haj rituals, pilgrims do not leave Arafat until after sunset. Then they head to Muzdalifah where they spend the night and finally go to Jamrat where they stone the devil. Each time we introduced outselves as journalists, we were met with looks of surprise, then followed by welcoming receptiveness. Besides the sun beating down on our backs and on the tops of our heads, the walk was undisturbed.

When we reached the foot of the Jamrat, wanting to get shots of it before the Haj crowds arrived, each officer passed us to the next as the one who would let us through. At the last Jamrat entrance, we explained the reason behind our visit to officer Saeed Al-Shahrani and officer Fahd Al-Mahdr.

“I’m sorry, but no one is allowed through because of the preparations on site. We would like to oblige you, but we’ve been given clear instructions,” said Al-Shahrani.

Choosing another route back, we took a five-minute break to catch our breath. Two Saudis in white lab coats were racing against each other, passing a man, a woman and us. In addition to the white coat, she was wearing a white headscarf and a white niqab. Her name is Huson and she is a nurse who has been working in Haj for the past 19 years. When we asked whether they were racing for fun with their colleagues, she answered, “No, it’s for practice on the job.”

Huson is the head nurse at Mina Health Center 14 and she supervises nine other nurses including Layla, a Saudi from the Eastern Province. It’s Huson’s 19th time working during Haj but it’s Layla’s third. A mother of seven, Layla told her husband the first time she wanted to work during Haj that it was compulsory. “The next year, I told my husband that I had been appointed to work during Haj. And this year, I told him that I needed a break from my daily routine so I’m working during Haj,” she explained.

In dealing with patients, Huson said that sometimes the language barrier makes communication difficult. She said that nurses working in the center come from Qassim, Makkah, Taif and Jeddah with each one speaking a different language in addition to Arabic.

“We had a problem with Chinese pilgrims in the past. But this year, we recruited a nurse whose mother is Chinese so the problem has been solved,” said Huson. “Angry or arrogant patients sometimes are difficult to deal with but the majority are truly cooperative and appreciative.”

Huson said that even though the number of women pilgrims is larger than the number of men, the patients are mostly men. “Women are able to put up with extreme cases of pain and illnesses,” she said.

There are approximately 30 health centers in Mina, 40 in Arafat and 5 centers in Muzdalifah.

The way back to our camp seemed longer and the sun seemed even hotter. The only breeze was from the motorcycles whizzing past us. Motorcycles were not an option to us because we’re women. Arriving back at our starting point three hours later, we found the streets cleaner but there were still pilgrims waiting for rides to Arafat.