Saudi Haj authorities, who handled an overwhelming 2.35 million Muslim pilgrims this year, should be commended for their tireless efforts and well-planned execution of the rituals.
The gathering of such a large number of people in one place — one of the world’s largest congregations — is indeed a daunting responsibility. Between the heat and the crowds all converging and competing for the same space to pray and perform rituals, it is a miracle that tragedies do not happen every year.
Any small panic in the crowd could trigger a stampede, and there are many young and elderly participants who could easily be trampled upon. Such a tragic incident had unfortunately occurred in 2015, in which 2,300 pilgrims lost their lives. Since then, Haj authorities have vowed ‘never again’ and have implemented exhaustive security measures and integrated sophisticated technology into making sure the flow of pilgrims runs smoothly. On site this year, Haj workers and volunteers were seen spraying pilgrims with water mist to keep their temperatures down in the blistering heat. Another 2,500 women volunteers, trained for medical emergencies, were also in place. In total, authorities deployed more than 100,000 personnel to tend to the pilgrims.
Major General Mansour Al Turki, a Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman, hailed this year’s “smooth” pilgrimage. “Our plan for nafra (the ritual return from Mina to Makkah) lived up to the required standard,” said Colonel Sami Al Shweirekh of Saudi Arabia’s General Security, praising the “success” of security measures.
Unfortunately, such large-scale successful executions rarely make international headlines and only tragedies get reported. However, every successful, tragedy-free Haj should be praised and the work that goes into it should not be overlooked.
