SAUDI ARABIA AND ISLAM MUST CHANGE

Like many other people I was horrified to see the images on television and to read the accounts of the stampede in Saudi Arabia. The stampede occurred during the symbolic stoning of the Devil ritual which is a part of the annual pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca. People were trampled upon and died from suffocation. It must have been gruelling. It must have been awful. It was cruel. I send my sincere condolences to the victims and their families. To those who were injured, I send my best wishes for a speedy recovery. Reading some of the articles about the chaotic organisation of the pilgrimage process, I believe that it is time for Saudi Arabia to change. It is time too, for Islam to change.

Poor Management

Saudi Arabia has dominated and controlled the holy sites in Mecca and Medina, managed the Hajj Industry and earned billions by doing so. This year two million people converged on Mecca to complete the demanding rituals of the pilgrimage within a five day period. Hence it is incumbent on the host country to put in place facilities, proper organisation and procedures to ensure that the pilgrims complete their pilgrimage safely. It would seem that Saudi Arabia has not been able to do this. In this post I raise questions to help identify the necessary changes that are needed.

Route Closures

Is it true that the police would close entry routes without giving any warning to the pilgrims? By not providing an alternative route, people were forced into smaller passages and crowded areas. Pilgrims would experience anxiety and suffocation. Was the temporary blocking of passageways the cause for the panic, the stampede and the eventual tragic death of so many pilgrims?

Police and Stewards

Did Saudi Arabia implement good crowd management techniques? Were the stewards and the police properly trained to attend to the needs of the pilgrims? Did they behave badly, even aggressively, to the pilgrims? Were they able to communicate to the pilgrims of different nationalities? Did they speak only Arabic? Were they indifferent to the poor health of some of the pilgrims and did they fail to respond to desperate calls from pilgrims for medical assistance? Did they lack compassion for the pilgrims?

Ramps, Wheelchairs and Water

Did Saudi Arabia prepare its roads and pavements for wheelchairs? Were there adequate ramps? Was it easy for wheelchair bound persons, persons with permanent disabilities and people who were ill to move from one area to another?

Given the high temperatures (40 plus degree) pilgrims would become dehydrated and exhausted. Was there an adequate supply of water?

Paramedics and Ambulances

Were the paramedics who came with the ambulances medically trained? Did they know how to attend to heart patients, diabetics and people with other ailments? Could they communicate well with the pilgrims? Were the ambulances equipped with medical appliances and machines?

Preparation of Pilgrims

How prepared were the pilgrims for the gruelling and distressing experience? Did the Saudi Government prepare the pilgrims for what to expect and how to behave in crowds?

Rituals

Is it necessary for pilgrims to perform all the rituals? The symbolic stoning of the devil, for example was something that Abraham did to avoid being distracted by the Devil. It is, to me, a violent action. A better way of overcoming distraction by the Devil is to pray and think of God in a peaceful manner. Given the large number of pilgrims a less rigorous approach to the Pilgrimage would be more desirable.

Attitude of Saudi Government

Does the Saudi Government look down on the pilgrims? Does it lack compassion and kindness for poorer pilgrims? Does it practise racism? I pose these questions because the world was shocked to hear a member of the Saudi Royal family blame the tragedy on “some pilgrims from African nationalities”. His statement was based not on statistics or facts but on a preconceived bias about African nationalities.

God’s Will

Many have attributed the deaths of the Pilgrims to destiny and representing God’s Will. One can accept this if everything possible had been done to ensure the safety and security of the Pilgrims. The Saudis should ensure that there are no lapses in security that would result in deaths. Pilgrims must be protected and cared for properly.

Boycott Saudi Arabia and the Hajj

A number of articles have been written to urge people to boycott Saudi Arabia and the Hajj. The writers provided many reasons for this. The poor organisation of the Hajj programme, the lack of adequate facilities and the insensitivity of the Saudis are a few. Other reasons include Saudi Arabia’s poor human rights record, the lack of civil society and its autocratic and patriarchal regime. One writer has stated that “the idea of cleaning one’s soul in a land morally corrupt, rife with human rights abuses and materialism repulses” many Muslims. Saudi Arabia has also been accused of exporting a violent interpretation of Islam. Is ISIL a product of Saudi ideals, Saudi money and Saudi organisational support?

Women and Change

Saudi Arabia must change and improve its human rights record. It must change the way it treats women. Women are second class citizens and they are subjected to control by the men. In much of the 20th Century, Muslim women in many countries did not cover their heads. Today, after the rise of fundamentalism, they cover their heads. They do this because of an interpretation of how women should dress. Men choose to interpret the statements in the Koran to suit their purpose and to control women. It is a fact that most rulings in Islam are interpretations made by men.

Modernize Islam

The Islamic religious leaders should examine Islamic teachings and practices to modernize the religion. Saudi Arabia should lead the way and it should give up its ultra conservative approach to the religion. It should abandon its primitive and inhumane practices of law which grossly violate human rights. More emphasis should be given to peace and kindness, compassion and love.

Peace and Not Violence

Some writers claim that Saudi Arabia spends vast sums of money to spread its theology. Is it true that Sunni terrorist groups receive funding from groups in Saudi Arabia? If all of this is true, then it is time that Saudi Arabia changes the way it operates and functions and modifies its unjust and extremist theology. The world will be a better place for this.