Hajj tragedy

This is not the first time in recent years that the annual Hajj had been marked by this kind of tragedy. Indeed, starting from 1994 when 270 pilgrims were trampled to death in a stampede similar to the one this year, more often than not there has been some incident of fatality, though the numbers have, thankfully, never again reached, the 1426 who died due to crowd pressure in 1990.

It is true that there is no way to overstate the magnitude of the task that the Saudi authorities face in terms of the safety and welfare of the pilgrims who number in excess of three million each year. The Hajj is the largest annual gathering on the planet and is a logistical nightmare.

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Nevertheless, it is clear that the time has come for the Saudi government to rethink the entire process. The recent death tolls are simply unacceptable to anyone. Ensuring that there is never again a repeat of this year's tragedy must be the number one priority, and the entire process needs to be re-engineered to this end. It is perhaps that simple.

By the same token, the countries from where the pilgrims originate should also take the responsibility to build awareness among the prospective pilgrims as to what to expect so that they will be prepared for undertaking any rigour that came their way keeping the wits about them. Close cooperation between the Saudi authorities and those of other countries should be part of the process.

One final suggestion is that perhaps higher priority should be given to first time pilgrims and that some of quota system should be put in place for repeat Hajjis depending on the space available each year. No one would argue with the proposition that first time Hajjis fulfilling a religious requirement should get precedence, if such a thing would help the overall situation.