Unfortunately the new Hijra year 1423 began under the shadow of a tragedy that directly affected some but touched the hearts of millions of Saudis and expatriates in the Kingdom. The tragedy of the Makkah school fire was made far worse by the irresponsible reaction of those who obstructed the rescue operations by civil defense personnel.

A total of 15 deaths and some 52 injuries might have been avoided if those who kept the rescuers out of the school had not been there. In the name of virtue and under the pretext of Islam’s do’s and don’ts, they even asked those volunteers who were trying to rescue the girls to verify their identities! Why did those individuals act in so callous a way?

Why did they even chase girls without abayas who were fleeing the school back into the building? Why did they insist that the girls not leave the school without abayas and head-coverings? Weren’t they aware that the girls were running for their very lives? Weren’t they aware that they were only girls and not mature women? And even if they had been mature women, on what basis should anyone deny them escape from certain death? Aren’t these people aware that Muslims are allowed to disregard what is normally forbidden in extraordinary circumstances of life and death?

Furthermore, I wonder if they have in their chests the hearts of fathers. What if their own daughters had been in the building, were trapped and killed in a stampede? How would they have reacted? Do they have sensible answers to my questions? Or are they ready with the same old excuse they always have — how women’s purity must be maintained!

I offer my sincere condolences to the families of the girls who died in the tragedy and ask God to give them peace.

Now let’s talk seriously about the organization responsible for girls’ education in the Kingdom — the Presidency of Girls’ Education (PGE). Where were the PGE officials when the building’s rental contract was signed? How did they manage to overlook the fact that that building — and many others — are unfit to be used as schools? Where were the committees, experts, officials and the well-informed educators who are so concerned about safety requirements? Why didn’t they make sure that regular fire drills were conducted?

Where are the Ministry of Education’s field inspection teams? On what basis does the PGE cram 40 or 50 girls into one classroom? Where have the tremendous sums of money allocated by the government for education been spent? And finally, what about the consciences of those responsible for educating our sons and daughters?

Numerous reports have been submitted to the PGE about schools needing repairs, electrical rewiring or new plumbing systems. Numerous reports have been submitted to the PGE concerning snakes, scorpions and rats in classrooms, cafeteria and toilets.

One of the most disgusting aspects of the tragedy was that our own local media failed to report the tragedy and the public learned of it from other Arab TV channels. More painful is the visit to the school by the president of the PGE under “orders” from Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed! Nothing less than a disgrace and a scandal was the party thrown by the head of the PGE for local journalists the day after the fire. One of our Saudi newspapers — Al-Eqtisadyiah — carried pictures of the lavish affair with the PGE head smiling, accompanied by aides and a servant walking before him with an incense burner! It was so disgusting and repulsive. What were they celebrating? Did they think it was a wedding? Didn’t they know it should have been a funeral? I even heard that at the end of the evening, the head of the PGE presented every journalist there with a new briefcase.

Also among the published pictures of the party were well-dressed Filipino waiters preparing the tables with elaborate tablecloths and expensive cutlery! Was this an attempt to bribe the press or simply to silence them?

I felt ashamed when I learned that none of the journalists had had the character to refuse the invitation or at least to reject the briefcase! Why didn’t the head of the PGE save the money spent on the dinner party and direct it to buy chairs, pens, books and chalks for schools which lack these necessities?

No one will of course be surprised to learn that as always a committee will be appointed from within the PGE to investigate the causes of the fire. Is it logical that the PGE which is responsible for the tragedy in the first place be the one to investigate? Why not a committee from the PGE, the civil defense and the Committee for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice — all three entities responsible for the tragedy?

Hats off to the royal family led by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd, Crown Prince Abdullah and the governor of Makkah who responded so sincerely to the sorrow of the girls’ families. Three cheers for those members of the royal family and others who extended condolences and financial aid to the families of the victims within hours of the disaster. On the other hand, those who are attempting to escape responsibility should be made to realize that no one is above the law.