MADINAH, 11 October 2007 — The narrow crossing pathway on the west side of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah is worrying many worshippers who will attend Eid prayers. The narrow crossing is only five meters wide and some 30 meters long and it was made as a temporary solution after a tunnel project was put on hold more than a year ago.
Tens of thousands of worshippers cross this narrow pathway everyday from and to the Prophet’s Mosque. Many say during the Eid prayer the narrow pathway would be a huge problem. It is already a problem for many who jump over the block barriers to avoid the pathway and get injured.
Police are doing their best by blocking traffic and permitting pedestrians to cross it in groups to avoid overcrowding and stampedes.
“Either they should complete the project or cover the big hole they made,” said Samir Al-Baloushi, a Madinah resident. According to him, the situation is particularly acute for residents living on the west side of the mosque in Al-Seeh and Al-Harra Al-Gharbiya.
“It’s very strange that nothing has been done so far to fix the problem,” said Al-Baloushi. “After just one year the project was put on hold. They should do something. The rainy season is approaching and I do not want to say what other problems it might cause.”
Jafar Muhammad Saeed, a resident of Madinah, said that he would not attend Eid prayer because of this obstacle.
“In the past when the roads were open we faced problems of overcrowding,” he said. “Sometimes our children are lost due to the overcrowding. Imagine what will happen when tens of thousands of worshippers cross this narrow path on Eid day. I think the safest way is to avoid going to Eid prayer.”
Arab News tried to contact officials at Madinah Municipality to comment on this issue but they were not available.
