Hajj Deaths-Again!!

[Drusilla]

Why is such a major religious event as the annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia so badly managed?
At least three hundred and forty five Moslems have been killed performing the Tawaf al-Wad farewell ceremony, where stones are thrown at the cube shaped Kaaba in the centre of the Great Mosque in Mecca.
It was only two years ago that a similar tragedy occured and although the Saudis have improved the barrier systems and increased the number of stewards, it seems outrageous that Moslems around the world are not treated with more care on this major occasion in the Moslem calendar.
The Saudi authorities will no doubt suggest this is the will of Allah, but surely its time for Moslem nations and concerned governments around the world to insist the Saudi authorities make better provision for these pilgrims in the future. Let's be honest, this is not a one off event in Mecca, like an Olympic Games, it is an annual event.
I would particularly like to hear the opinions of Moslem ABers about this.

[Drusilla]

Thanks Eddie. I believe I am beginning to put a different perspective on this situation and would like to thank everyone for their comments and helpful information.

[Dolly1308]

Blame George Bush ! sorry couldn't help myself .

[Insurgent]

Hi Drusilla sorry for the late reply, they actually expect me to work at work.

The jamaraats are house in a kind of bowl which collects the stones and reduces the risk of pilgrims being hit from the back by stones. There is a system at present which is two tiers systems which reduces the risks, as pilgrims able to throw stones at the same jamaraat at two levels. There are plans to further improve this with a possible third tier being built.

Yes, there is as you say a special dress code known as �ihram� which are worn during umrah and Hajj. For men it consists of two pieces of white, plain and unsewn cloth. One of the pieces (ezaar) is wrapped around the midriff to cover his body from just above his navel to his ankles, and the other (reda) is draped around his shoulders to cover the upper body. For ladies, their ordinary , and unpretentious clothes of daily wear constitute their ihram. This as you say makes pilgrims indistinguishable from each other. See link http://www.ummah.net/hajj/pics/hiram.gif

Again I think your correct in reference to Malcolm X (El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, as he chose to be called once he completed hajj in April 1964) was overwhelmed by what he experienced on hajj and that changed his attitude and �perspective for the better on race and racism�. See link with excerpt from a letter he wrote. http://www.soundvision.com/Info/racism/xletter.asp

Hope that answers your questions, If I�ve made any mistakes, please forgive and correct me

All credit is due Allah. Only the mistakes are mine.

[Drusilla]

Thank you for all the information, Insurgent. I appreciate your help and guidance.

[LeMarchand]

Surely it isn't a case of the people not being treated "with care" but more a case of (according to a precious respondent) 4.5 MILLION people crammed into a relatively small space and getting fairly worked up.

The deaths are tragic, but almost unavoidable. Whilst I feel for the bereaved families, these people did choose to be there and surely knew the risks involved.