Dreadful Tragedy On The Hajj

[sandyRoe]

Can't the Saudi authorities do more to ensure the safety of pilgrims?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-34346449

[EDDIE51]

Svejk, The tube covers the whole of London. Hajj is concentrated in less than 1 sq mile. People have to perform the Hajj on foot, or in wheelchairs if they can't walk.

[EDDIE51]

This photo gives some idea of what it is like
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/63661000/jpg/_63661279_crowd.jpg
The crane that collapsed was putting up a 3rd tier of ' terracing' around the square in the photo to allow more pilgrims to take part . You can see that it is 2 tiers high in this picture .

[Svejk]

I think he was pointing out that large numbers of people can be moved about safely. As he said, 'It's not the will of Allah, it's the incompetence of men'.
Are you saying deaths, on a regular basis, are inevitable, Eddie?

[EDDIE51]

There has never been a Hajj without at least a dozen or more trampled to death. For course there will be deaths among over 2 million people during the week or so of the Hajj. It is hard to separate what what would have happened anyway from the ones caused by the overcrowding. The problem is that death on Hajj is regarded as Martyrdom, which is a 'blessing'.
A martyr goes directly to Paradise with it's virgins and eternal perfect life!
So there will be no investigation of why it happened.

[Hypognosis]

@EDDIE51

if "condolences to the dead" was yours, not methyl then my apologies to methyl (on mobile, so avatars are only 5-6mm across). I can't understand why the paragraph underneath merited deletion.

Anyway, my sarcy remark still stands. Condolences go to -relatives of- the dead, of course. I'm sure that's what you meant but by all means correct me on that.

[Jackdaw33]

The paragraph underneath was removed because the poster has since left AB, and all his posts are automatically removed.

[Svejk]

Methyl is no more.

[trt]

Having spent 11 years working in the Middle East, most tower and large construction, buildings etc, have been built by other Country's from the West.

I did hear that Saudi tends to do it themselves, which has caused many people to be killed & injured, as their Health & Safety is rubbish, same as Qatar.

Also the people of the middle, and far east, are not that well educated, and have no patience with queues or large organised events.

Some of you may have experienced this at airports etc.

[Peter Pedant]

yeah I have to say they dont queue like the British

[EDDIE51]

The Saudi Mecca crane contractor was the Bin Laden group. 100% Saudi owned.

[Hypognosis]

What? No more Methyl? What did he do to deserve that?

[ummmm]

Look at Birdie's post in site suggestions.

[scorpiojo]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Answerbank-Suggestions/Question1446293-5.html#answer-9972790

[Peter Pedant]

// Can't the Saudi authorities do more to ensure the safety of pilgrims? //

I think they really are ham-strung by their belief that it is the will of God and they would have died at that moment somewhere else if not there

[ rather than lying to get themselves off the blood-payment ]

[trt]

## The Saudi Mecca crane contractor was the Bin Laden group. 100% Saudi owned. ##

Well that says it all Eddie, he couldn't have blown it up!

[mikey4444]

This isn't the first time that something like this has happened during the Hajj.

It seems like an accident waiting to happen, when 100,000's of people all turn up at the same place, at the same time. Why don't they space these hajj out a bit over the year ?

[EDDIE51]

mikey The Hajj is a fixed time in the Islamic year. To suggest spreading it out is like saying Christmas Day should be spread out over a few months!

[mikey4444]

I realise that Eddie, but it seems to me that Islam is making a rod for its own back by being so hide-bound about procedure !

[EDDIE51]

The Hajj is one of the 'Pillars of Islam' it MUST be performed at the exact time shown by the sighting of the new moon from Mecca.
It can never be altered.