Spike in Makkah suicides raises many questions
Published: Mar 11, 2010 23:40 Updated: Mar 11, 2010 23:40
MAKKAH: A spike in the number of suicides in Makkah has created a stir among locals with some viewing the problem as a passing one while others say it is a growing trend.
A number of sociologists and psychiatrists told Arab News that people who commit suicide in the Kingdom tend to be foreigners rather than Saudis, and that most are mentally ill.
They added that the increase may be because Makkah — a magnet for people from all walks of life from countries across the world — has seen an increase in visitors in recent years and is also home to numerous high-rise buildings.
Dr. Rajab Brisali, a psychology consultant at the National Guard Hospital, said people sometimes attempt suicide when they do not see a way out from their miseries.
“Pilgrims who attempt suicide are usually medically unwell and on medication for depression. For some, seeing the Kaaba and becoming overwhelmed by it and the massive crowds can also lead them to becoming mentally unbalanced,” said Brisali.
He added that there is no direct link between suicide and the existence of tall buildings around the Grand Mosque in Makkah. “Those who jump off tall buildings may have mental problems and already suffer from depression, while those who slit their veins or hang themselves are psychopaths,” he added.
Spokesman for the Civil Defense, Lt. Col. Ali Al-Muntashiri, said the Civil Defense has dealt with a number of suicide attempts near the Grand Mosque. “We were recently able to convince a man not to jump from the 10th floor of the King Abdul Aziz Waqf building and foiled another suicide attempt at a building close to the Grand Mosque,” he said.
“We negotiate with them until they give up and later hand them over to the police for investigation,” he added.
Spokesman for Makkah police, Maj. Abdul Mohsen Al-Maiman, said attempted suicides have not become a phenomenon in Makkah, adding that most cases involve foreigners. “Most foreign workers who commit suicide or attempt suicide suffer from mental illnesses,” he said.
Recent incidents of suicide include that of a professor at Umm Al-Qura University who hung himself in his home last year; a Saudi man in his 20s who killed himself in the Al-Sharaie district of the city last year; an Indonesian housemaid who jumped from the third floor of a building in the Al-Sabhani district; a Saudi man who jumped from a tall building near the Grand Mosque; and a foreign Umrah pilgrim who jumped from an upper floor of the Grand Mosque.
Comments
ABU SABRI
Mar 13, 2010 12:30
Report abusePOINTS TO THE FACT THAT FOREIGN MUSLIMS ARE NOT BEING TREATED THE WAY THEY SHOULD BE WHEN THEY COME TO THE SANCTUARY. YOU
DO NOT NEED AN EXPERT TO SAY THAT THEY ARE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESSES.AS A REGULAR VISITOR I CAN SAY THAT , WE FOREIGNERS COULD BE TREATED A LITTLE BETTER.
ZEESHAN KAMRAN, JEDDAH
Mar 13, 2010 12:31
Report abuseJAMAAL MANOLO P. JAVIER
Mar 13, 2010 12:42
Report abuseManila
SALAAM.
I do not believe that real MUSLIMS commit SUICIDE. They would rather commit SUICIDE BOMBING!!! HAR! How do we know if these alleged suicides are not actually MUSLIM FIGHTERS being SILENTLY ELIMINATED by their ANTI-MUSLIM enemies deep within the territory of ISLAM?!!!
JAMAAL M.P. JAVIER (A MUSLIM CONVERT)