It’s rather unfair that Muslims have been labeled “terrorists” and “extremists” by the West. While those in the non-Islamic countries, particularly in America and Europe, settle for a cursory “hi” or “hello”, Muslims are the only people to greet each other with “Assalaam-u-Alaikum” — peace be upon you. I guess I’ve spent enough time in the Middle East not to notice it on a regular basis, but it’s very clear every time I’m in Saudi Arabia. I get into an elevator and, no matter how grumpy or miserable the person I encounter is, they say, “Assalaam-u-alaikum”. It is considered almost unthinkable for someone not to say that when they encounter people in such a closed environment — and it’s almost a crime not to reply “Walaikum-salaam”, returning the sentiment. So how come there’s such an image problem? Well, I’m not even going to try to answer that right now, but I can’t help but remind myself how courteous and respectful people are whenever I go for media coverage of the Haj. This year I heard a reporter from a television network having a heated debate in a hotel lobby in Jeddah. It seemed that something he had planned had not quite worked out. As his voice grew louder and his manner more agitated and animated, one of his colleagues stepped in and gently put his arm on the angry man’s shoulder.
“Don’t raise your voice,” he told him, “You’re supposed to be at peace when you are on the Haj. It is wrong to get angry or think bad thoughts”. The angry reporter thought about it for a moment, then retorted, “But I’m not actually performing the Haj — I_m here to report it!”
“Still,” said his colleague, “This is a very special place.” That seemed to placate the reporter, who perhaps realized that being an angry man among so many calm pilgrims made him a rather obvious sight. Things calmed down. That in general is how things work at the Haj. People quickly realize that they are in jeopardy of tarnishing their effort to be spiritually reborn if they allow negative emotions to dictate their behaviour. There are strict rules about what is allowed and what is not at the Haj. Some of the rules I’ve seen listed say: • It”s forbidden to wear jewellery — including wedding bands • Perfume is not allowed — and that even any soap used should be unscented • Fingernails must not be cut during this time • No more than three hairs removed by plucking, shaving and so on (unless an illness requires it, such as a skin rash) • No land animals may be killed, except harmful creatures such as mosquitoes, fleas, or snakes, scorpions, etc. Fishing and hunting at sea is permitted • Trees and plants may not be cut down • No sexual relations • It’s forbidden to commit acts of violence or quarrel These and other rules should ensure a trouble free pilgrimage, but one considerable problem for the image of the Haj is the annual reporting of things that go wrong. Almost every year, there is some sort of incident at the Jamarat in Mina — the bridge-like structure where three pillars are stoned by pilgrims as a symbol of casting out the Devil. In past years, there have been stampedes and crushes, which have taken dozens, and occasionally hundreds, of lives. The media is partly to blame for the misunderstanding of what happens there. I was doing a live report with a television channel broadcasting into America, and the show host asked me, “What about all the violence that’s taking place what are the Saudi authorities doing to control that?” I tried to explain that it wasn’t actually “violence” that the incredibly congested environment makes it something of a dangerous situation at the best of times. Add to that elderly, tired and emotionally stressed pilgrims by the hundreds-of-thousands, and it’s something of a miracle that the Haj is overall as trouble-free as it is. Still, the media likes the drama of a crush or a tent fire. No headline ever reported, “Nothing major happened today”! I had the rare chance to speak with Brigadier Mansour Al-Turki, the Ministry of Interior’s spokesman, who has been in charge of overall security of the pilgrimages for ten years and for traffic control for more than twenty-five years. He said part of the problem is that the Haj continues to grow in size, and that lessons learned from an incidence at one Haj can_t be applied until the following year. ”It takes time to change the system,” he said, “and each year there’s a new bunch of pilgrims — new people who don’t know what is expected of them.” The Brigadier gave an example of how he went to the city of Atlanta, Georgia, in the USA for the 1996 Olympic Games, to see how they would cope with the large crowd coming in to the city. While walking around the Centennial Park downtown, and visiting the food court at the CNN Center next door, Brigadier Mansour found no real crowding. He could buy his lunch at any of the fast food places and sit at one of the many tables in the center of the atrium. Then, one day, he said, he was stuck in a massive crowd at the food court, and found it impossible to maneuver around people with his tray. Then, all the tables were completely full, and there were already people sitting on staircases and on the floor, trying to eat their meals, with debris all around. ”The man collecting the rubbish and empty food containers was struggling to keep up,”commented the Brigadier, his face lighting up at the memory. “As soon as he ran off with a full trolley of rubbish, the bins were already overflowing. He couldn’t work fast enough” He paused, then added, “I thought to myself this is just like a mini-Haj. Lots of people coming to a new place, and not familiar with the situation.” Brigadier Mansour oversees the security control room that monitors the Haj night and day. It is a central point for information and surveillance. Hundreds of cameras look over key sites from Mecca to Arafat, to make sure that everything runs according to plan — and that, if there is a problem, the response is quick and efficient. That covers any possible incidence from a traffic accident to pilgrims being hassled by street-traders. As this Haj wraps up, there will be another update of the system, with more than 100 additional cameras, and more advanced processing of information at the control centre. The Brigadier said that more than 50,000 men under him had been deployed to ensure the safety and security of the pilgrims this year, and that 70-80 percent of their work would end up being traffic control and specific safety issues. As I looked around the control center, I couldn’t help but realize that most people who live in Saudi Arabia — let alone those who come to the House of God — have any clue as to how carefully and closely the authorities oversee the world’s largest annual religious gathering. It might seem a bit ominous at first to think everything is so closely watched, but talking to the staff at the control room, it becomes evident that their priority is to make sure there are no problems for the pilgrims. I asked about the threat of terrorism. The Brigadier answered candidly that he could not rule it out — especially as Saudi Arabia had seen some horrendous acts over the past year, where the terrorists proved themselves to be people who didn’t care who got killed by their actions. Still, he says, it’s actually a bigger challenge simply dealing with the logistics of such a large event. I asked about general crime. ”There’s not a lot, to be honest,” said Brigadier Mansour, “but we make sure that we try to prevent even the smallest criminal acts.” Interestingly, the numbers seem up this year, with the media quoting the arrival of 1.6 million pilgrims from overseas and more than half-a-million officially from within the Saudi Kingdom. Realistically, say some commentators, that could push the final number close to three million people at this Haj, because so many people come without permission and manage to get access to Mecca somehow. Good weather helps a lot too, encouraging more people to be here at a time when they are less likely to be fried by the desert sun. In spite of security and safety controls, with additional check-points to manage the pilgrims and the large numbers, people do insist on entering Mecca, whether they have an official visa or not. It’s hard to stop a Muslim who’s determined to visit the House of God.