The stoning ritual went very smoothly today and by 1 p.m., half of Mina was deserted. Once pilgrims have completed the stoning ritual, they are free to depart Mina. Many will go back to Makkah to perform Tawaf Al-Wida before heading home. Actually, we discovered this morning that many of the camps on the outskirts of Mina had been empty since Sunday, after the tragedy at the Jamrat. Organizers in the area said that pilgrims who were lodging in those tents chose to return to Makkah on Sunday evening without completing the stoning ritual. They explained that those pilgrims plan to sacrifice extra sheep to make up for shortening the required action.
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The streets of Mina are very clean this year. There are plenty of rubbish bins and the pilgrims have kept the spirit of Haj by placing their garbage in the clearly marked receptacles. Today was cool with crystal blue skies. The sun put in brief appearances, just enough to keep everyone warm but without intense heat. Despite the beauty and excellence of the surroundings, this year’s Haj will be remembered for nothing but Sunday’s disaster which has spoiled some of the happiness for all participants.
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Everywhere we go in Mina, the tragedy is all people can speak of. They discuss it endlessly, over and over. Most people blame the pilgrims who were in the area at the time. They say this means that there is not enough training for the pilgrims and that it must be made clear to the pilgrims that they have the entire day to complete the ritual — not only a few morning hours.
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Pilgrim training seminars overseas generally inform pilgrims what the requirements of Islam are. Unfortunately these seminars don’t teach the pilgrims that if they become hysterical and panic in the crowd, then they are risking their own lives and also those of others. The message must also go out to everyone in the Kingdom to stop performing Haj illegally year after year. This is one way to bring the numbers of pilgrims down. The pilgrims themselves cannot understand why more effective steps are not taken to manage the crowds. They say that strong measures must be taken to control entrance to the area.
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Discussing the access control situation with one of the security officials, he explained that they tried hard on Sunday to discourage pilgrims from moving into the Jamrat area. However, many pilgrims ignored their pleas and pushed onward. “We can’t go beyond a certain limit,” said the police officer. “Remember that we are dealing with pilgrims and we must treat them with due respect. If they have a certain concept in mind and they believe that their action is necessary from a religious point of view, how can we interfere? It is very hard on us in these situations. Their own religious authorities must speak to them before they come to Saudi Arabia and advise them about the best way to complete the Haj rituals. Believe me, we are not lenient. But we try to use reason, not brute force, to deal with the pilgrims. I would request that religious authorities all over the world do their utmost to prepare their own nationals for the pilgrimage in order to guarantee safety for all.”
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Many mutawwifs are also discussing what should be done to control the crowds in the Jamrat area. After some serious introspection, many ideas have been put forward. One is to use escalators and mechanical roadways or people-movers such as those in airports to move the people through the Jamrat area. Since the mechanical roadways move in just one direction, people would be taken from one end of the area to the other. Return movement, which is often the reason for stampede and panic, would be impossible. Another idea is to create multiple, circular tiers that could be opened and closed to control the crowds.
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Khaled Thagasi, usually an employee of Saudi Arabian Airlines, works for a mutawwif each year in Mina. He explained that in previous years, he sent an idea to the authorities, asking them to use cable cars in both the Jamrat area and around the Kaaba. The pilgrims would be able to stone the Jamrat from the cable cars. Elderly pilgrims could also be transported around the Kaaba in cable cars to perform the rituals. This would keep the elderly and the infirm off the ground and out of the crowd. After listening to him, the suggestion was laughed at by officials. “Maybe my idea isn’t perfect, but it’s certainly something to consider and perhaps combine with other suggestions,” said Thagasi. “We are in the 21st century and Islam is growing all over the world. The number of pilgrims will never decrease. In fact as more people have the means to perform Haj, the numbers will swell. Many of the facilities in Mina are already obsolete. I welcome any moves by the authorities to expand the holy places. They should listen to many ideas and suggestions before they start work so that the best plans are used in these expansions.”
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While Thagasi was unhappy with the situation at Mina, one Dutch pilgrim from Amsterdam thought that most of the facilities were fine. It was just the Jamrat area that needed more work. He explained that in Europe security forces are trained to handle tens of thousands of fans for football matches and perhaps there were lessons to be learned there. He did say that the current situation at the Jamrat is an “accident waiting to happen” and a “death trap.”
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No matter how much is written about the Boy Scouts, it is inadequate praise for them. The Haj would not run as smoothly without them. We bumped into a 14-year-old scout, Ibrahim Abdul Aziz Al-Ajlan from Jeddah. Even after five difficult days, he was still smiling broadly and trying to help wherever it was needed. We asked what had brought him to the Haj? “I just want to serve the Guests of God,” he replied. The scouts receive SR1,500 in compensation. This is very little for the long hours they put in for the event. “The money is actually immaterial,” Al-Ajlan explained. “I jumped at the chance to come. My father was so happy that I would be helping this year. Public service is a tradition in our family.” As this was his first Haj, we wondered what lessons he had learned from the experience. “Have patience, patience and more patience!” was his answer. How better to end this year’s Haj diary!
