14 January 2006
International
Saudis blame pilgrims for stampede
- By Siraj Wahab
Mina (Saudi Arabia), Jan. 13: Eyewitnesses and the Saudi authorities have blamed unruly pilgrims for the tragedy on Thursday, in which at least 450 people were crushed to death.
"Many of the pilgrims were disorderly. The government has made every effort and done everything it should," Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti told Saudi TV's Channel 1. Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, as well as interior minister Prince Naif, blamed ill-informed pilgrims who defied the rules and carried their belongings with them and ignored advice to perform the ritual throughout the day.
"It pains us that so many people died, but we must point out that the security forces averted many more disasters from happening and saved many lives," the Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz was quoted as saying by the Saudi Press agency. Many Saudi securitymen too were trampled to death while trying to save elderly pilgrims from being crushed.
"They did everything but the crowd was unmanageable," said Tehmina Almas Syed, an Indian woman pilgrim, from a hospital bed in Mina. "There was total chaos. It was like a pressure cooker. Everybody was looking for an outlet to get out of the mess," she said. "We were told by scholars at the Haj committee orientation camps in Maharashtra that we should perform the stoning ritual only after 12 noon on the last day. That was a fatal mistake. I spoke to so many people here and they said all the other scholars have given them permission to stone the devil right from sunrise. I wish I had listened to them and not our scholars in India," she said weeping hysterically.
The interior ministry said it would stop pilgrims squatting with their belongings by the side of the Jamrat bridge. Officials say that around 300,000 Muslims who are already resident in Saudi Arabia slip into Mecca and Mina to join the some 2.5 million pilgrims taking part.
The ministry urged foreign Haj missions to enlighten their pilgrims about performing the Haj rituals in a peaceful and orderly manner to prevent stampedes and other accidents.
Recalling the moments leading up to the tragedy, Nadira Khan from Pali, Rajasthan, said: "The noise was deafening when the tragedy occurred with the helicopters hovering overhead and the ambulance sirens blaring. The fallen pilgrims were efficiently lifted one by one onto stretchers and carried to ambulances, which gingerly crept through the crowd. It was extremely pitiful to see the injured pilgrims as they were being moved away, stretching out their arms, trying to clutch onto relatives or friends. They feared separation from their loved ones even though many were obviously in need of urgent treatment."
"We have to be practical," said Abdul Khaleq Abdul Haq of Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh. "The serious overcrowding at the Jamrat is causing many women to deputise others to do the stoning on their behalf.
This is wise. In addition it should be said that part of the reason for the terrible crush was that many pilgrims wanted to get back to Mecca before leaving the holy city," he explained. "If the stoning ritual is completed early the pilgrim may leave Mina before sunset, and return to normal life. Those who do the stoning later in the day and do not leave Mina before sunset, must remain there overnight.
The stampede took place despite efforts to improve traffic at the Jamrat site, where all 2.5 million pilgrims participating in Haj move from pillar to pillar to throw their stones, then exit.
The authorities had replaced the small round pillars with short walls to allow more people to throw their stones without jostling for position. They also recently widened the bridge, built extra ramps and increased the time pilgrims can carry out the rite - which on the second and final days traditionally takes place from midday until sunset.