Friday 25 September 2015

Deadly Hajj Stampede-2015 and Saudi Apathy?



Victims of Hajj Stampede-2015  

Dr.Mazhar Naqvi

Iran has rightly asked Saudi Arabian government to accept responsibility for the deadly stampede that left over 700 Hajj pilgrims dead several hundred others seriously injured. The reaction of Iran should not be perceived against the backdrop of its known regional rivalry with Saudi Arab. Rather, it should be seen as an obvious and natural outcry over the repeated failure of Saudi government to check the reoccurrence of such tragic mishaps. While Iran declared three days mourning, King Salman simply said in a televised speech that the authorities were asked to review all the arrangements for pilgrims. The Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Nayef shrugged off the whole issue that the deadly stampede called for an investigation.
The statements of the King and Crown Prince would have been understandable. The reaction of Iran could have been also termed as full of prejudice and biases. But ironically, the past record of Saudi Government has been far from satisfactory after such tragic incidents. The Kingdom has always been criticized for its very slow response to similar previous crises.  
There have been a number of stampedes over the years. The deadliest took place in 1990 when 1,426 pilgrims died in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel. Despite modifications and construction of new bridges, more than 300 people were killed in a crush in 2006. In December 2009, 120 people died in heavy flooding that displaced over 22000 others. The government  only declared 16 months later that more than three hundred persons have been questioned to ascertain the exact reason behind the tragic mishap.
As recently as about two weeks ago, more than 100 pilgrims were killed after a crane operated by the Saudi Binladin Group collapsed at the grand mosque . The company attributed the accident to strong winds. Likewise, Saudi Health Minister Khaled al-Falih is blaming undisciplined pilgrims for the tragedy. He said   on the state television “it could have been avoided if they had "followed instructions."The Saudi authorities have also stated that the responsibility of the deadly stampede could not be passed on to the shoulders of those entrusted with the task of managing the annual Hajj pilgrimage. In its bid to escape criticism, Saudi administration has been quoting frequently the billion s of rupees it has spent to ensure safety of Hajj pilgrims. The Government had undertaken  a $21 billion program in 2011 to expand the capacity of the Grand Mosque in Mecca to accommodate 2.5 million devotees, it is being widely publicized.
But Saudi government has yet to give a logical answer to the question raised by Iran as to why " two paths had been closed off near the site of a symbolic stoning of the devil ritual where the stampede occurred…… the path closures had left only three routes to the area where the stoning ceremony was held in Mina, about 5km from Mecca.".There is indeed substance in the allegations as a proper reply is awaited from Saudi Government. If the allegation his wrong, it should say it openly or else it should admit its inability to learn from past tragedies. Everyone knows that stampedes are not restricted to only Saudi Arabia. Even in India, stampedes have claimed lives of hundreds of people at the shrines and temples. But there has been no recurrence of such mishaps. In the case of Saudi Arabia, it is the same pilgrimage and venue where the deadly stampedes have reoccurred despite huge investment on building the necessary infrastructure. This fact supplements the statement of Iran’s Hajj organization chief Said Ohadi “   Today's incident shows mismanagement and lack of serious attention to the safety of pilgrims. There is no other explanation. The Saudi officials should be held accountable."Iran also accused Saudi officials of "tactlessness" over the lack of safety measures at the Hajj."We can in no way be indifferent to this irresponsible behavior of Saudi Arabia. This will be dealt with through diplomatic channels," As if this was not enough, Iran also summoned the Saudi charge d’affaires in Tehran was to the Foreign Ministry to lodge “strong protest” over the failure to protect pilgrims.
It is quite strange that only Iran has been vocal over the issue so far. Other countries have preferred to remain silent as usual. They don’t want to be perceived as an ally of Iran in view of its open stand against both America and Saudi Arabia. They are silent despite losing their own countrymen in the deadly stampede. The attitude of Saudi government and silent of its counterparts only confirm what a political analyst on the Gulf has remarked after the stampede”  “It’s been a bad month for the image that the Saudis are trying to project, that they can protect the holy places. Although the Saudi government has spent billions of dollars to ensure that the Hajj is as safe and as secure as possible, the sheer number of people moving -- often on foot -- from one site to another means that accidents are bound to happen periodically.” Does this prediction is not dangerous? Of course, it is and can’t be ignored.(The Blogger also prays that the souls of the victims rest in Peace and May Allah bless them a place among his beloved ones. Amen)


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