The Sudanese and the Nigerians towered above the crowds in their colorful jalabiyya. In Saudi Arabia, most women wear black outdoors. But at Mina, the women wore their local fashions proudly. Egyptian and Syrian women were quite fashionable in color coordinated outfits from head to toe. The gentle Malaysian ladies had changed into scarves in lovely pastel shades. Despite the change in outfit though, the Malaysians still stood out from all other pilgrims. These pilgrims study about the Haj extensively before coming to Saudi Arabia. They are taught to walk in small, careful steps and to move as a close group, without pushing or behaving aggressively. Everyone respects them for their caring manner.
* * * *
• Adding to the delightful ambiance was the excellent weather. The sun was under cloud cover for most of the day and there was a soft breeze blowing throughout Mina. The pilgrims were much less stressed than on Tuesday. We heard one man say to another, “Oh, I recognize this place. This was where I got lost yesterday.”
Praise to Allah! Everyone finally seemed to have found their camps. Yesterday was a day for pilgrims to search out friends and relatives located in other parts of the tent city. Many times we saw pilgrims greeting one another like long lost brothers. One major topic of discussion is the expense of Haj. This is a particular issue with Saudi pilgrims. One pilgrim, Anas Shuabi, told us that in 1995 he drove from Jeddah with his entire family in his GMC all the way to Arafat. They camped in the GMC and the entire trip cost less than SR1,000. Now it costs a minimum of SR10,000 per person to come for Haj. This is in part because Saudis are very particular about privacy and generally do not share tents with others.
* * * *
• Even though the number of lost pilgrims was greatly reduced, there were still many elderly pilgrims that needed help getting from place to place. After the Boy Scouts, the most organized NGO assisting the pilgrims during their stay in Mina is the India Fraternity Forum (IFF). This group of 1,100 volunteers in their blue shirts and orange jackets are known to pilgrims throughout the tent city. For many years they have been coming to Makkah and Mina during Haj, particularly to assist the elderly and lost pilgrims. Abdul Ghani Abdul Rahman, assistant coordinator with the group, remarked that this year the IFF was supported by the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) and the Consulate General of India in Jeddah. The IFF volunteers are drawn from 12 Indian states and speak languages from Hindi and Urdu to Malayalam and English. Before Haj, group members came to Mina and identified every national pilgrim camp on maps. They also worked out several different routes to each of the major camps. Then they returned to Jeddah and printed 1,500 of the maps.
These have proved to be very useful as they enable the IFF volunteers to direct pilgrims to any camp. Their broad language abilities make it possible for them to help most pilgrims. Those that they cannot direct due to age or issues in communication, they take in wheelchairs back to the correct camps. The IFF coordinator said that the removal of all small vehicles from Mina has been a relief, since this has reduced congestion. However, he urged the authorities to allow the volunteer groups to use autorickshaws to help elderly pilgrims back to their camps. “Yesterday I had to take two pilgrims all the way across Mina to their camps and it was exhausting,” said Abdul Ghani. “I had to sit down and rest for an hour. The temperature will only go higher in coming years and the elderly cannot walk in the heat. I could take 10 pilgrims with an autorickshaw in the time it takes me to transport one or two by wheelchair. The authorities could allow us to use this transport on some of the side streets and it would make quite a difference.”
* * * *
• This Haj has been free of any outbreaks of disease. Nevertheless, hospitals in Mina remain on high alert. There are multitudes of health clinics in Mina dispensing first aid and aspirin. These clinics are supported by four hospitals — Mina Al-Tawari, Mina Al-Wadi, Mina Al-Jadeed and Mina Al-Jisr. When pilgrims fall ill, their Haj services agencies contact the Saudi Red Crescent, which sends ambulances immediately. At Mina Al-Jisr Hospital, Dr. Entessar Al-Tayhouni, a respectable Saudi from Jeddah, was in charge. The hospital director said that he was quite familiar with the health issues most often faced by pilgrims as he was at the same hospital last year as assistant director.
Al-Tayhouni advised that there were more than 100 doctors and 100 nursing staff assigned to the 150-bed hospital. They are paid by the Ministry of Health for their five days of work in Mina during Haj, but they all vie for the privilege of coming to help pilgrims. Mina Al-Jisr Hospital is furnished with modern medical equipment which is refreshed and upgraded annually. The hospital mostly receives cases of respiratory distress, appendicitis and blood sugar control problems. They are able to stabilize cardiac patients, but if open heart surgery is needed then the patient is transported to Al-Noor Hospital in Makkah.
* * * *
• After a visit to the hospital, it was time to move on to the post office to pick up some souvenirs. The best Haj souvenirs are the special postage stamps issued to commemorate the occasion. Sameer M. Nahhas, general manager of Saudi Post for Makkah Region, showed this diarist the three stamps for this year. Priced at SR2 each or SR6 for the set, the stamps show Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah at prayer; the new Makkah Clock Tower; and the Mashair Railway. “Not only do we sell these postage stamps, but we also sell postcards for SR2. Those have photographs such as the Mount of Mercy and Prophet’s Mosque. We set up temporary post offices in Arafat just for the wuquf,” explained Nahhas. “The pilgrims flood in from morning to night that day. They want to send a simple note back to loved ones at home showing the Arafat stamp to emphasize that they were there.”
The post offices are spread throughout Mina for the duration of the Haj and Nahhas said that business is booming. E-mail is popular at other times, but during Haj the personal note is still most desired. Nahhas invited all Muslims to come to the main Makkah post office in Gazza district where collections of the Haj stamps from previous years are on display and may be purchased. Readers and philatelists can write to him at [email protected]. “Three years back I joined Saudi Post from STC,” said Nahhas.
“Both of these companies are in the business of enabling communication. The message written in longhand though is more personal and lasting than a phone call. I am sure there will be a thrill when those postcards are received. They will be shared over and over again. Then they’ll be tucked away in a box or drawer and taken out from time to time to be re-read and enjoyed. I am very pleased that Saudi Post helps to create so many wonderful memories.”
