Sunday's Haj tragedy has generated a wave of shock and concern around the world. The fact that pilgrims carrying out what should be a supremely emotional and fulfilling event had their lives snuffed out by others intent on the same goal seems the very antithesis of a holy undertaking.
Inevitably there has been some criticism of the authorities. Much of that, however, is unfair. This disaster was largely caused by the presence of illegal pilgrims and pilgrims who did not follow the rules. Some had taken baggage with them onto the Jamrat Bridge causing people to trip; others tried to walk against the flow of the crowd to get back to their camp site as easily as possible.
Nonetheless there is much that the authorities can and should do to try and prevent another such tragedy. They should insist that visiting pilgrims undertake a Haj course prior to coming here, one approved by the Saudi authorities. Malaysia does this. Other countries should do so. No one should be given a Haj visa without proof of having completed the course.
Communications also have to be improved. Although pilgrims were warned not to proceed to the stoning after disaster stuck, they continued to do so. That is because they did not understand the instructions. Announcements in Arabic and English are not enough. Most of those who come to perform Haj know no colloquial Arabic, let alone English. The authorities need to consider adding a number of other languages — Malayalam, Swahili, Hausa and perhaps many others.
Then there is the issue of illegal pilgrims. Despite instructions against Haj being performed more than once every five years, there are people who go every year. This paper knows of one man who claims to have performed Haj 42 times. Such action is grossly selfish. People who do so prevent other pilgrims from performing this Pillar of Islam in safety and tranquility. Does someone returning from his 18th Haj think he is in a more blessed state than someone who has performed it only once in his life? The authorities need to clamp down — and hard — on these pilgrims who perform Haj without a permit. Any expatriate breaking the rules should be expelled; any Saudi, heavily fined. Illegal operators, too, need to be dealt with. They exist — as one of today’s letters shows.
Last of all, the authorities need to look again at the current quota system — 1,000 Haj visas per million Muslims in a country. This number may have to be reduced. Because of birth rates, the number of Muslims in the world is increasing by 32 million a year. That means 32,000 extra pilgrims every year. And with Muslims more affluent and more mobile, the number of Hajis is increasing exponentially. But even if all this is carried out, no one can guarantee there will not be another tragedy, given the massive numbers involved and the constraints of the terrain. There is no perfect system. Only God is perfect.
