MINA: University professors have called for studying physical and health abilities as a precondition for performing Haj and Umrah, in an attempt to protect and to avoid bearing the burden of caring for elderly people who can’t travel and perform Haj in the Mashair.

Dr. Mohammad Sedeiq said: “Everyone should respect the law. Preliminary reports state that the stampede was caused by lack of commitment to the system, for relevant authorities defined roads and directions of traffic; but some people went against the system to achieve what they wanted. We suffer from lack of awareness and commitment to the regulations, in addition to the large numbers of old and ill people who can’t keep up with the flow.”

Dr. Alaa Aldin Hamouda, associate professor at Al-Azhar University, said: “The Kingdom exerts a lot of effort in facilitating Haj, and the incident that happened is God’s destiny. If we look closely into the matter, some pilgrims had a role in the incident with many countries sending old and ill people to perform Haj.”

He wished Muslim countries would show some cooperation in this matter and reconsider issuing permits to old people.

Mohammad Abdulwahhab, imam and orator at Beir Al-Khair Mosque in Mauritania, said there is no doubt that the Kingdom exerts a lot of efforts in serving the guests of God, and the recent media campaign that targets the offered services of the government of the Two Holy Mosques is rejected and all Muslims realize that it is a hate campaign that is done by bodies that aim to harm Muslims and Islam. “I came to perform Haj on invitation for the Muslim World League, and ever since I reached the Kingdom, I only saw benevolence. The Kingdom gives priority to serving pilgrims and provides them with everything they need and don’t need,” he added.

Dr. Mohammad Anwar Al-Kabeer, associate professor at the National University in Bangladesh, said the Two Holy Mosques have been safe since the reign of King Abdulaziz until the reign of King Salman.

“I am sure that those who harm the Kingdom haven’t been there before or they might have never dealt with Saudis. We have been treated with honor and generosity; the state offered food and drink, and I have never encountered anyone who went hungry. Incidents such as the falling crane or the stampede could happen anywhere and we can’t interfere in God’s fate,” he added.