The pilgrims set off on the journey of a lifetime in cold, windy, overcast weather. The conditions were challenging especially for the men who were wrapped in nothing more than two pieces of white cloth. Some of the elderly pilgrims from tropical lands were visibly shivering and everyone was walking quickly to get under some sort of cover.
With dark clouds overhead and the weathermen predicting that the cloud cover will continue, authorities are concerned that rain is in the forecast. In their Haj Report, MEPA stated that flooding in Arafat is a possibility if heavy rain falls. This causes issues from the perspective of mobility and sanitation. Slick roads lead to vehicle accidents that bring traffic to a halt. Rain makes it harder to collect rubbish, creates mud, increases insect breeding activity and reduces the effectiveness of disinfectants. The sun came out for just a few minutes around midday, so anxiety is high on the weather front.
The pilgrims from Arab countries actually delight in rain and were enjoying the cloudy conditions. Pilgrims who were suffering in the chill took it with good humor, stating that it was one of the sacrifices of Haj.
Early yesterday morning Mina was deserted but by noon the town was a sea of white. From Mina’s King Abdul Aziz Bridge, the white tents and pilgrims packed the area. Squatters have also glued themselves to every square centimeter of open space. Every year authorities face the problem of pilgrims without permits and despite all measures to control them, these pilgrims without muttawif still make their way to Mina.
Part of the problem is that the cost of Haj has risen too high for the pilgrims from some countries to pay. For example, a janitor from Bangladesh working in Jeddah might earn as little as SR500 per month. He will be unable to save enough to afford the minimum SR2,000 fee charged by Jeddah’s Haj agencies. So instead of sitting in his room during the Eid vacation, this Muslim takes a chance and tries to perform the pilgrimage without a permit. That means he will have no tent, organized food or transport. He will walk the entire journey with his belongings strapped on his back, using any piece of open land for everything from sleeping to personal hygiene.
Security forces could be seen pleading with these squatters but there is little that they can do. The police are under orders to treat the guests of Allah with kindness and the pilgrims simply will not follow the instructions of the officers. One top Asian Haj official was wringing his hands in frustration. “These pilgrims without permit are a risk to the health and safety of all. They are breaking the law and we can only pray that God will accept their pilgrimage under these circumstances,” he said. “Their presence is not the problem of Saudi security forces. It is the fault of all of us who do not educate Muslims to understand the problems and dangers of coming to Haj without adequate arrangements.”
There is a huge security presence in Mina. Officers are posted on every bridge, street and crossing. This security presence will grow in coming days. The government has made plans to prevent any stampede in the Jamarat area. The pillar representing the Great Satan has been enormously increased in size and its shape is now hexagonal. This is in order to make it easier for pilgrims to hit the pillar during the stoning ritual. One official said that computer simulation showed that the new shape and size could be easily hit with a small pebble even from a great distance. This should keep pilgrims moving through the area rather than causing a blockage while they try and try again to hit the pillar, even though in truth, having the pebble make contact with the pillar is not required.
There is also a new strategy to cope with the huge amount of human traffic converging on the stoning area as the pilgrims return from Muzdalifah. This year, as every year, pilgrims are under instructions to go to their tents first, leave their baggage and then proceed to stoning the Great Satan as a group. If the pilgrims choose to ignore such instructions and bring their baggage with them to the stoning area, then security forces will relieve them of their baggage before the pilgrims will be allowed to make their way to the bridge to complete the ritual. The bags will be tagged and sent to a secure area for collection by muttawif representatives.
On Thursday, the third day of Haj, as the pilgrims approach Al-Jowhara Street and Al-Arab Street to move to the stoning area, they will be met by security forces forming a human chain every 10 meters. If the streets are too crowded, the pilgrims will be blocked from moving forward by the security forces. Once the pilgrims are on the main streets leading into the open space before the Jamarat area, any baggage in their possession will be removed. Then they will channeled by rows of security forces toward specific entrances to perform the stoning ritual. They will complete the ritual and exit through one of 10 exits, all well removed from the entrance to the Jamarat. Security forces stationed on the Jamarat Bridge will prevent any pilgrim from turning around and attempting to move into the oncoming crowds on the bridge. All of these measures are being taken in an attempt to prevent any mass tragedy in the Jamarat area.
While the pilgrims are at Mina for prayer and reflection, opportunities for a bit of commercial activity abound. Shafi Hosain from Komila, Bangladesh, was selling emergency mobile chargers for SR10. He definitely had the right product for his target market because his wares were selling like hotcakes. Almost everyone at the pilgrimage has a mobile phone. Those with relatives in Saudi Arabia arranged for the purchase of SAWA SIM cards in advance. Others were forced to turn to vendors selling the “pilgrim chip.” Many reported paying up to SR280 for a SR200 SAWA card. Once again many pilgrims from former Soviet Republics such as Dagestan can also be seen. These Muslims take as long as six months to reach Makkah. They sell goods at numerous markets in countries on the way to Saudi Arabia. Even at the Haj, they are famous for selling Russian binoculars, which are in great demand.
It is comforting to see that despite all the violence around the world, here in Mina peace is on the minds of all. Asking a father and daughter from Anantnag, Kashmir, what they would be praying for at Arafat today they both replied, “We want peace. We want security.” The father elaborated, “When we go out of our homes, we are not sure what will happen to us. We are not sure if we will come back alive or not. So we are living in constant fear. Can you imagine what that is like? Fear pervades our lives all the time. On the day of Arafat we want peace for our entire community. We want peace for the whole world, not just Muslims. The international community should learn from this peaceful global gathering of Muslims for Haj. Believe me, when I pray at Arafat, I will be beseeching God to forgive us all, not just the Muslims. I don’t want harm to come anyone’s way, Muslim or not.”
