I fully agree with Arab News “Editorial” in the issue of Sept. 25. The Mina tragedy has shaken us all.
Observers may recall that after the 2006 stampede during Haj, by and large Haj had been incident-free as a result of effective safety measures taken by Saudi authorities. Nobody can deny that the Saudi government generously spends billions of riyals on the development and security of the two holy sites. The main purpose of these development projects is to make Haj safer and easier for pilgrims converging on Makkah from all across the world.
According to Indian TV journalist Jawed Ansari, the most probable reason for this stampede was pilgrim’s impatience. They wanted to complete the ritual at Jamarat at the earliest due to which the place got overcrowded and one slight mistake led to this disaster.
We appreciate the massive relief efforts carried out by Saudi authorities. It is also very important for the government of other Muslim countries to properly educate their pilgrims before sending them to perform Haj in Saudi Arabia. It is also the duty of pilgrims to reciprocate the efforts made by the Saudis by abiding by rules and regulations at the holy sites to avoid such accidents.
I would like to offer my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I also pray for the speedy recovery of those who got injured in the stampede.
The Mina tragedy
