Dr M A Fazal, Principal Lecturer in Law at the Nottingham Trent University, England
[Initially written in 1999 (updated subsequently)]
Introductory
This author is a Muslim and performed his Haj in 1998. His suggestions and observations are based on his experience during this Haj. The case for enhancing the safety and well-being of the religious pilgrims is strengthened by a succession of accidents resulting in the loss of many lives over the years. Thus in 2001 it was reported that some 35 people died in the course of the ritual “stoning of satan”. In 1998 many hundreds lost their lives on the same spot. In 1997 about 343 pilgrims died and more than 1500 were injured when a fire destroyed 70,000 tents in Mina. The worst Haj disaster occurred in 1990 when 1,426 pilgrims were crushed to death in a stampede when a bottleneck developed at the entrance to a congested tunnel. In view of these mishaps, measures of a permanent nature for enhancing the safety and well-being of the pilgrims are called for. What follows is an attempt to address these issues.
It appears that there has been much improvement in the facilities and water supply provided at the various centres visited by the pilgrims. The Government of Saudi Arabia deserve to be congratulated for this improvement and the way they have maintained the holy sites viz. the Sacred Mosque in Mecca and the Holy Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. There is no doubt that constant attention is being paid to the growing problems caused by the increasing number of pilgrims visiting the holy sites each year and the demands they make on the available services.
However, the sheer size of the pilgrim population (2 - 3 million) arriving during the Holy Season within a relatively short period of time poses serious problems for the Authorities to handle. It is to this aspect of the matter that this paper addresses itself and seeks to offer some suggestions to improve the safety and well-being of the pilgrims.
Suggestions
1. Need to Expedite the Immigration Procedure at the Port of Entry.
This author has observed that the immigration clearance at Jeddah Airport could take up to ten hours. This causes immense hardship to the pilgrims who might have already spent one sleepless night while setting out from home on the journey for Haj. This in effect means two sleepless nights before one reaches Mecca for the Haj rituals at Kaba.
2. Safety Rules for the Observance of the Rituals.
In 1998 about 200 persons died at Mina during Haj. This kind of accident will not surprise any observer. If 2-3 million people were to turn up at the same time to do the same thing at the same place (ie. to stone the devil) and there are no administrative arrangements as to how this is to be done, the crowds are likely to crush each other to death. This is what happened this year. It is possible that these tragedies happen more often than they are reported.
However, measures could be taken to avoid or to substantially reduce the risks to life. As for example, the authorities could draw a boundary line around the site where stoning of the devil is to be done, stop the crowds at the boundary and allow in, say, 500 people (100 from each of, say, five entry points). The crowd should be told that they have one minute each to do the stoning and that they should leave the stoning site through one of the exit points and not through entry points, so that the incoming crowd does not meet the outgoing crowd. Both the entry points and the exit points should be manned by the officials or the police. The crowd should be told that the entry and exit would be allowed strictly on the basis of ‘first come first served’. Jumping the queue should be prohibited. The programme could be announced over loud speakers. However, the erection of small gates for entry and exit is not recommended. This could create additional hazards where a huge crowd is surging forward.
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Devils in Mina
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Diagram
3. Safety Rules for the observance of Tawaf and Sai
There are similar risks in course of the observance of Tawaf and Sai, viz. people being crushed to death. The same rules could be applied to both. A limited number of people, ie. the number that could be accommodated for Tawaf and Sai at one time, should be allowed in at one time (say, one complete Tawaf and Sai involving seven rounds being allowed every 30 minutes or whatever time is required to complete it). There should be separate points of entry and exit. These should be managed by the religious officials and not by the police. Within the precincts of the sacred mosque policing should be limited to situations of extreme necessity. If the police force is to be deployed they should be trained in the rules of courtesy and in the spirit of dedicated service to help the pilgrims. The same training should be given to other officials and those who work at the Sacred Mosque including the cleaners.
4. Safety Rules for Crowd Behaviour
A set of safety comprehensive rules of crowd behaviour ought to be adopted, enforced and explained to the pilgrims in advance. As for instance, “if the persons in front of you stop, you should stop and wait till they move. You must not push them. If there are people sitting on the floor, eg. for prayer, you must not walk on them.” These safety rules ought to be observed during Tawaf, Sai, stoning of the devil at Mina and while visiting the Holy Prophet’s shrine in Medina.
5. Facilities for Women Pilgrims
The number of women pilgrims seems to be on the increase. On the personal estimate of this author the women pilgrims represented approximately 35-40 percent of the total this year. This seems to be presenting a problem as to who sits where, at the Sacred Mosque in Mecca (not at the Holy Prophet’s Mosque in Medina where things seem to be administered better). Where the women pilgrims sit together at the Sacred Mosque the men tend to withdraw. However, sometimes the women sit in rows where men also sit, particularly when wives would want to sit with their husbands, or where a woman wants to sit between her husband and son. This tends to happen among the women from the Far East but is not uncommon among other women. It is resented by the Islamic traditionalists. This is producing friction and tension.
This author observed an incident when a man repeatedly shouted at women sitting in a front row (where the majority in that row were women). He kept disturbing others at prayer and asked women to withdraw from the Sacred Mosque and sit well outside the Mosque. Other men including this author protested at his behaviour. The Religious Authorities in Saudi Arabia ought to articulate and implement the appropriate rules on the matter, bearing in mind the precedents set by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him) who permitted women to perform Haj and exercise their full rights. This author experienced one incident. But in fact it is a common occurrence during Haj.
6. Ablution and Toilet Facilities
This author’s experience is that 15-20 people shared one shower cum toilet room in the hotels, both in Mecca and Medina. The situation is far worse at Mina and Arafat. In fact the situation is appalling in these centres where thousands have to struggle and share a few toilets and wash facilities. This is made more acute by the fact that Muslims are required to perform ritual ablution before prayers, which are held at fixed times. This in turn creates tension among the people who are competing for the same facilities and are in a hurry. The matter ought to be put right as soon as possible.
7. International Conference on Safety of the Pilgrims during Haj
This author would recommend convening an International Conference on the above, preferably in London where the Western as well as Muslim experts could take part and contribute to its deliberations. A video film on Haj should be shown at the conference. On viewing the film the experts would be able to analyse the problems and make appropriate recommendations as to how to promote the safety and well-being of the pilgrims during Haj. The recommendations could then be submitted to the Religious Authorities in Saudi Arabia to see if they are compatible with the Islamic rules on the matter. Subject to their approval/modifications the measures, so recommended by the experts, ought to be implemented.
8. Concluding observations
Rapid rise in the number of pilgrims during Haj has created manifold problems which are by no means confined to issues addressed to in this paper. Traffic congestion on the road is one of the side effects of this phenomenon. The Authorities in Saudi Arabia are no doubt dealing with these problems viz. training of the traffic police, development of roads and transport etc. However, the pilgrims should not be viewed simply as a problem. They bring opportunities for business, trade and prosperity to the local people, particularly to those in the holy cities. Therefore every effort ought to be made to make their stay comfortable.
Measures recommended in this paper need not be expensive, nor involve major administrative machinery. They are fairly simple measures. It is the hope of this author that, if implemented, they will substantially reduce risks to lives and contribute to the well-being of the pilgrims.
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Email: mafazalntu@yahoo.co.uk
