Zimpapers Logo

Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was the King of Saudi Arabia and custodian of the Two Holy Mosques from 2005 to his death earlier this year

Abdullah R. Makwinja Correspondent
Hundreds of Hajj pilgrims were killed and hundreds more injured in the heartbreaking stampede in Mina during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia last week. Zimbabweans were part of the pilgrimage, although their status is yet to be established. The world has been shocked at this substantial loss of human life.

Most important to note, however, is the proof of the sheer incompetence on the part of the Saudi officials who are supposed to ensure the safety of the Hajj pilgrims.

The stampede came only a few days after a crane collapsed in the Grand Mosque in Mecca, killing 107 people and injuring another 238. More than one thousand pilgrims have died in a stampede in the city of Mina.

Hajj is an event which should be spiritual and peaceful. But unfortunately, this incident, which occurred when nearly two million worshippers performed one of the rituals of the Hajj pilgrimage by throwing pebbles at a symbolic devil, has been blamed by Saudi officials on the African pilgrims.

Blaming the Mina stampede on the African pilgrims is a criminal incitement to anti-black violence. One wonders if the Africans are also to blame for the crane accident that killed more than 100 pilgrims just a week before in the House of God. Hajj is the great unifier, pilgrims wear simple white gowns meant to promote the sense of equality, and oneness of humanity, the Saudis should understand.

Reports coming from the pilgrims on the ground say the main reason for this accident was that a member of the so-called Royal Family was receiving dignitaries including the Minister of Defence and members of the GCC (the Gulf Co-operation Council). For this reason, they closed two of the entrances to where the (“stoning of the devil” ritual) happens and they closed two roads, which created two bottlenecks. It is the fault of the Saudi government because any time a prince comes along, they close the roads and don’t think about the disaster waiting to happen. In every disaster, the Saudis say it is God’s will. It is not God’s will – it is man’s incompetence.

The protection and security of the Hajj is the responsibility of the Saudi government, and they have to act upon their duties, and the consequences of any negligence in this duty are on the government of Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi government has proved that they do not deserve the management of the Hajj because of two regretful incidents in a short period of time. It has been proven a number of times that Saudis do not have the competence of managing Hajj.

Previous Hajj tragedies

2006: 364 pilgrims died in a crush at the foot of Jamarat Bridge in Mina

1997: 340 pilgrims were killed when fire fueled by high winds swept through Mina’s tent city

1994: 270 pilgrims died in a stampede during the stoning ritual

1990: 1426 pilgrims, mainly Asians, died in a stampede in an overcrowded tunnel leading to holy sites

1987: 402 people died when security forces broke up an anti-US demonstration by Iranian pilgrims.

It is time that this holy event should be managed by the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC), the world’s largest Muslim organisation. One may as well question the Saudis right to solely oversee the sites of pre-eminent importance to the world’s nearly 1,6 billion Muslims.

We demand that the Saudi government take responsibility for this catastrophe and fulfil its legal and Islamic duties in this regard. It is also high time that the Saudis should immediately withdraw all funding for the ISIS terrorist group and stop bombing Yemen and instead concentrate on managing their responsibilities to ensure the safety of the Hajj pilgrims during this most important event of the Muslim world.

• The writer is the Resident Imam at Fatima Zahra (as) Islamic Centre.