A harrowing Haj pilgrimage

The stampede that killed more than 700 people and injured hundreds more on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca will be remembered as one of the worst tragedies for the pilgrimage in decades. Combined with the crane collapse this month, which killed more than 100 people, this pilgrimage season has been particularly harrowing. As with all tragedies, however, valuable lessons will be learnt and measures taken to prevent a recurrence.

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has ordered the creation of a special committee to investigate the causes of the stampede. The kingdom has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure projects for the holy city over the past two decades, with the intention of making the site safer. It has also taken steps to control the number of pilgrims who travel to Mecca every Haj.

The country’s most senior cleric, the grand mufti, said yesterday that the stampede was beyond “human control” and specifically absolved Saudi’s interior minister, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, of responsibility for the tragedy. The review of safety procedures demanded by King Salman is welcome after Thursday’s tragedy. For such a review to have a lasting effect, investigators must be provided ample time to fully explore the nature of what went wrong.

Any developments in Mecca carry incredible weight and resonance around the world, so it is also unhelpful for any party or country to exploit this incident for political reasons. Comments from Iran criticising Saudi Arabia over the stampede reveal Tehran’s simple and inappropriate attempts to ramp up negative rhetoric and exploit a horrible tragedy for purely political reasons.

The redevelopment of sites throughout the holy city of Mecca is necessary to accommodate large numbers of pilgrims. Such growth by itself is not a bad thing, as some have argued. Rather, smart infrastructure developments that incorporate safety and security for all pilgrims are necessary for safety in Mecca.