As Haj drew to a close this year, blessedly free from any incident, the officials concerned must be congratulating themselves on putting on a good show. However, from an Indian woman’s perspective, there remains much to be done before accolades are truly earned.
Mrs. Umama Begum writes:
“Alhamdulillah, this year’s Haj is over. Though the media are full of praise, the real fact is the long-standing problems still remain unaddressed even though people have been voicing their complaints for years. Let me enumerate one by one.
“There are huge crowds around Maqam Ibrahim (in Haram) — of people wanting to see what is inside. People kiss, touch it. This type of shirk was abolished long back in Madinah by stopping women standing in front of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) grave, where they used to place their hands on the grave, thinking that it would bring them Barakah (blessings). It is necessary to replace the glass cover of Maqaam Ibrahim with steel plates to make it opaque, so that no one sees it, and causes difficulties for people doing tawaf.
“All the Makkan roads are very narrow. This has been the case since the past 50 years. Thousands of buses are parked on all the roads and streets near hotels, narrowing the roads still further, and bringing the traffic to a standstill. All the roads and all the streets must be immediately widened to 4 lanes, and the buses should be provided with parking areas in places like Adhl, Kudhai, and elsewhere.
“Now only Shamiyyah and Harathul Baab have been abolished around the Haram. All the areas around and up to 1 km radius should be demolished for people to walk freely. Many ring roads and tunnels should be built. Many underground car-parking areas around Haram are needed too.
“Problems of Haj are created by Mutawwaf, who earn millions of riyals. All Hajis set aside money for paying the cost of tent and travel between Jeddah, Makkah, and Madinah. Hajis have every right to travel with comfort. Where four buses are needed, the Mutawwaf provides only two, asking the Hajis to climb up and sit on the roof or travel by standing. This is really a torture. Moreover to save money, this year the Mutawwaf took the Hajis, especially Egyptians, straight to Arafat. The Da’awa and Ershad department had distributed guides advising pilgrims to observe the Sunnah by going to Mina on 8th of Dul Hijjah, but the Mutawwaf sent them to Arafat on the 8th of Dul Hijjah. Also, they forced all the Hajis to go to Makkah from Mina immediately after Dhuhr prayer on the 12th of Dul Hijjah, before they performed the stoning ritual. The helpless Hajis gave all the pebbles they had collected to a few youngsters, and left Mina by bus. The Mutawwaf could have waited till Asr prayers, so Hajis could return after completing the ritual of throwing stones.
“Although there are eight roads from Arafat to Muzdalifah, each wide enough to accommodate three vehicles, it takes about five hours for one to reach Muzdalifah, the reason being the lack of parking space for buses and other vehicles in between the roads. All the buses and other vehicles park on the roads with the result that only one vehicle can move at a time. So there is traffic jam up to Arafat. The in-between open areas in Muzdalifah should be made parking lots with suitable markings.
“In Mina, people find it difficult to move around because all the buses are parked on the roads itself for 3 days of Tashreeq. Again, all the buses, after dropping the Hajis from Arafat, must leave and park outside Mina, Muzdalifah in places like Adhl, Haj street, or Zahir, or in many other open areas of the city.
“Though the authorities say that unauthorized shops will not be allowed, many were visible. I don’t know whether this rule is only for public consumption. Why is it not followed up with orders to the police to remove all unauthorized tents put over the mountains?
“Unauthorized roadside cafeterias sell unhygienic food, causing diseases. Municipality men do not apprehend them, and place blame on others. The Municipality says that this is the work of the Health Ministry. The Health Ministry passes the buck to the Municipality. In other instances, they claim it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Commerce. Why this confusion? Why not convene a meeting of responsible authorities to tackle the Hajis’ health problems? The duties should be defined, shared, and implemented immediately, and the men should be held accountable for their lapses.
“I hope that these problems will not continue forever. So much has been done for the comfort of the pilgrims. But so much remains. If there is a will, there will be a way.”
Well spoken, Mrs. Umama Begum. I do hope that the relevant authorities sit up and take note of your observations. And do something about it.
