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The incredible journey of about three million pilgrims to Saudi Arabia's holy sites for the annual Hajj has ended. Left behind are questions about the tragedy that claimed over 360 lives on January 12 as pilgrims performing a religious rite at the Jamarat bridge were crushed in a
stampede as well as new reflections on the meaning of the Hajj. Today we bring you a collection of reports on the end of Hajj including reaction to the the events at the Jamarat bridge.
Nearly 3 Million Performed Haj
P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News
 JEDDAH, 16 January 2006 -- Haj Minister Fouad Al-Farsy said that nearly three million Muslim faithful, including foreign pilgrims, Saudis and expatriate workers performed Haj this year.
Addressing the delegates of foreign Haj missions and media persons who won ministry's prizes, Al-Farsy said the government had made all-out effort to make the annual event a success.
"By the grace of God, about three million, including foreign and domestic pilgrims, stood on the plains of Arafat in prayer during this Haj," the minister told the gathering at Crowne Plaza Hotel here yesterday.
He said the happiness of a successful completion of Haj this year was marred by Thursday's stampede at Jamrat in Mina, adding that the accident was caused by those pilgrims who ignored instructions.
He said most pilgrims involved in the stampede were carrying large bags, obstructing movement of their fellow faithful. "We have advised pilgrims several times not to carry baggage while heading for Jamrat for the stoning ritual for the sake of their own safety."
Al-Farsy called upon pilgrims to make use of the concessions given by Islam in performing rituals. "Our Prophet (peace be upon him) selected the easiest option whenever he had a choice," he pointed out.
The minister was apparently referring to the insistence of many pilgrims to stone the Jamrat as soon after noon as possible on the 12th of Dul Hijjah (Jan. 12), putting the lives of themselves and others in trouble, ignoring the religious edicts issued by scholars that they could stone any time on that day to save lives.
"The government and people of Saudi Arabia, who leave no stone unturned in the service of pilgrims, are saddened by the Mina tragedy. Our objective is to help all pilgrims return home safely after performing their Haj rituals in ease and comfort," the Saudi Press Agency quoted the minister as telling the delegates.
Al-Farsy thanked all government and private agencies and establishments who took part in the Haj operation to make the annual gathering a success.
Muhammad Salahuddin, head of the jury that selected the winners of prizes instituted by the Haj Ministry for the best media coverage of the event, said the ministry decided to distribute the prizes every year, considering the role of media in projecting the government's efforts in the service of pilgrims and providing guidance to the guests of God.
Al-Farsy distributed prizes to members of the jury, who are Khaled Almaeena, Abdullah Manna, Salahuddin, Qenan Al-Ghamdi, Abubakr Bagader, Hatem Qadi and Abdul Wahab Baghdadi. Arab News National Editor Mahmoud Ahmad received the award on behalf of Almaeena.
The winners of the prizes for the media coverage of Haj 2005 were: Fahd Nasser Al-Zouman of Al-Riyadh and Muna Muhammad Al-Manjoumi of Al-Hayat for the best individual reporting; Anwar Kamal Baghdadi of Al-Eqtisadiah and Wahib Abdul Rahman Al-Wohaibi of Al-Jazirah for the best human interest stories; Wajdi Hassan Halawani of Al-Watan, Saud Al-Muwallad of Al-Madinah and Wasim Obaidi of Al-Eqtisadiah for the best photojournalism. Okaz and Al-Madinah won the prizes for the best overall coverage of Haj 2005.
More than 400 Saudi and foreign media persons were present this year to cover Haj events. Adnan Kateb, chairman of the South Asian Establishment for Pilgrims, has been taking care of mediapersons from Saudi newspapers for the past five years.
"Our establishment provides the mediapersons food, accommodation and other facilities to help them carry out their mission in an excellent manner," Kateb said and commended the role of mediapersons in projecting the true picture of Haj to the outside world.
Source: Arab
News
Reprinted with permission.
 Haj Promotes Muslim Unity: Madani
JEDDAH, 15 January 2006 � The annual pilgrimage, which brings together more than 2.5 million Muslims from different parts of the world, reminds the Islamic Ummah that its unity is possible despite differences, Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani has said. Speaking at a reception given to media persons who came to cover this year�s Haj, Madani stressed the role of Haj in strengthening the faith of Muslims and encouraging them to push their way to a bright future.
Haj: Some Lessons for the World
- Dr. Khaled Batarfi
Haj was an educating and ennobling experience. Like my last three holy journeys, I learned a lot about myself, ourselves and the world we live in. Here are some of the lessons. Haj is an occasion where people of all colors, races and backgrounds live together, move as one, and do the same thing, the same way, at the same time. You can�t feel superior to others if you have to be an integral part of their thoughts, feelings and actions. It doesn�t matter here if you are from a better economic or social class, or have higher position or education. It doesn�t make a difference if you are culturally more sophisticated, elegant or better looking. Under the sunny sky of Makkah, in the squeezed crowd of millions, in the simple two-piece white dress everyone looks the same. In the holy places you forget who you are and where you came from, at least in your relations with the others.
Pilgrims Descend on Prophet�s City
MADINAH, 15 January 2006 � Tens of thousands of pilgrims converged on the holy city of Madinah yesterday to pray at the Prophet�s Mosque after successfully completing their pilgrimage in Makkah.
Local Hajis Offer Feedback on Conduct of Pilgrimage
RIYADH, 15 January 2006 � As the Haj came to a close Friday pilgrims returning here offered their opinions that provide insight into improvement that could be made to the conduct of the annual pilgrimage. Top of the list for Indian pilgrim Mustafa Hashim, who returned to Riyadh yesterday, was the need for more security personnel. Mustafa and a friend carried out all the rituals on foot to get past the traffic jams. They were thus able to observe the real situation on the ground from close quarters. They said that the 60,000-strong security force was totally inadequate to control the surging tide of millions of pilgrims in close quarters, especially around the Jamrat area.
Diary of the Hajj
As millions of people stream into Saudi Arabia for next week's Hajj, the BBC's Rabiya Parekh has joined the pilgrims and is writing a diary for the BBC News website.
SR4bn Jamrat Expansion Begins
JEDDAH, 16 January 2006 � Work on the new multilevel Jamrat Bridge in Mina, which was the scene of a deadly stampede that killed over 360 pilgrims during this Haj, began Saturday. The project, which is designed to accommodate more than three million pilgrims at a time, will cost SR4 billion. Demolition of the present bridge and clearing out the debris began in earnest as soon as this Haj season ended in order to build two of the four levels of the new bridge by next year�s Haj. The design of the new bridge aims at reducing congestion in Jamrat at any one time or point and avoiding the occurrence of stampedes.
Tragedy despite huge investment
At least 345 Muslims have died in this year's Hajj pilgrimage despite Saudi Arabia's attempts to prevent stampedes. Saudi authorities have spent millions of dollars since 2004 to improve safety measures on the Jamarat Bridge at Mina.
Hajj deaths dismay Arab press
The Arab press in the Middle East has reacted with horror to the deaths of hundreds of pilgrims, crushed during the stone-throwing ritual at the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Papers in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere called for better organisation of the ritual and for religious rulings to ensure there are no repeats.
'A very frightening experience'
At least 362 Hajj pilgrims were killed in a stampede in Mina as they sought to complete a farewell stone-throwing ritual before sunset. The BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Mecca was on the Jamarat Bridge in Mina when the stampede happened. He described his experiences to the BBC's Today
Programme.
'It was like the road of death'
Eyewitnesses have described the chaotic scenes after at least 345 Muslim pilgrims were killed in a stampede during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia. The stampede took place at the foot of the Jamarat bridge in Mina, where pilgrims hurl stones at three pillars representing the Devil.
Families Claim Stampede Dead
JEDDAH, 15 January 2006 � Grieving family members were still identifying victims of Thursday�s Mina stampede that killed at least 363 people from 26 countries, mostly Indians, Pakistanis, Saudis, Bangladeshis, Egyptians, Turks and Yemenis. Nationals from South Asia appeared to have been worst hit in the stampede at the entrance to the Jamrat Bridge in Mina, east of Makkah, where more than half a million pilgrims had massed.
A Hajj Diary - By Faiza
Saleh Ambah - SUSRIS IOI:
Photo
credits:
Headline image - Pilgrims circle the Ka'bah in Mecca. (Photo by
S.M. Amin/Aramco/PADIA)
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