Editor's Note:
The word "Hajj" means "to set out for a place." Three million people are setting out for a place next week. That would be the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to perform pilgrimage rituals that form one of the five pillars of Islam -- a religious duty of every able bodied Muslim male to accomplish at least once in a lifetime.
SUSRIS has been pleased in past years to bring you the insights and perspectives of many writers about the Hajj including Dr. David Long -- diplomat, scholar and author of "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" -- who said of the Hajj: "Although many religions have pilgrimages, the Hajj is virtually unique in its worldwide participation and sheer size. It is hard for anyone who has not been in the Kingdom during the Hajj to appreciate its full scope. How can a country with a relatively small population such as Saudi Arabia maintain such a good record in administering it each year?"
This week SUSRIS will provide a collection of articles and interviews on the Hajj to help answer that question and more. These SUSRIS items and other resources will be compiled in a new SUSRIS Special Section called, "Hajj 2008." [Links below] Today we start with an article discussing preparations for the Hajj, by P.K. Abdul Ghafour of Arab News -- the largest English language daily in the Kingdom.
Kingdom Steps Up Hajj
Preparations
P.K. Abdul Ghafour
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has stepped up preparations for the annual
pilgrimage, the largest gathering of Muslims in the world, which
begins on Dul Hijjah 8 of the lunar calendar. Nearly three million
pilgrims from around the world are expected to perform Haj this
year.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has instructed
public and private Haj agencies to mobilize all their resources to
make this year�s Haj operation a resounding success. The
government has implemented a number of new projects to help
pilgrims perform their duties peacefully and comfortably.
Overcrowding has always been a big problem for the Kingdom�s Haj
managers. To solve this problem, the government has urged Saudis
and foreign residents not to proceed for Haj without obtaining
valid permits from authorities. Expatriates have been warned they
could face deportation if found in the holy sites without valid
Haj permits.
�There is a legal system to perform Haj and people should know
that being a pilgrim is not an excuse to violate regulations and
cause problems to others,� Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal
said recently while launching a media campaign aimed at
enlightening Saudis and expatriates on the need to follow Haj
regulations.
Prince Khaled has highlighted the government�s efforts to manage
the annual pilgrimage.
�The activities of some people in violation of regulations
upsets the whole system, causing problems to legal pilgrims. The
government will not allow these negative practices,� he said.
�Violators of Haj regulations and overstayers will be arrested
and deported immediately. This measure will be carried out
throughout the year, not only during Haj. We will intensify the
campaign during Haj as we know that there are many people who
overstay for this purpose.�
The governor cautioned prospective pilgrims against making
agreements with dubious Haj service firms and taking unauthorized
vehicles to the holy sites. He said tough action would be taken
against companies that cheat pilgrims. Those who want to know the
authenticity of domestic Haj service agents may visit the website
www.localhajj.info or contact 800-244-4480. The Haj Ministry has
licensed 265 companies to provide Haj services.
Haj is an Islamic duty that is compulsory only once for a Muslim
who is physically fit and financially sound. But many Muslims,
especially those in the Kingdom, repeat Haj several times, causing
unnecessary congestion in the holy sites. Many of them squat in
public places and walkways violating regulations and creating
problems to fellow pilgrims.
Different ministries and government departments have finalized
their Haj plans. The Health Ministry said it would deploy more
than 10,000 doctors, nurses and paramedical staff for Haj
services. Over 100 specialist doctors from Pakistan and Jordan and
247 nurses from Malaysia have been hired to serve pilgrims.
�The ministry is fully geared to offer preventive, curative and
emergency health services of the highest standard to pilgrims in
Makkah, Mina, Arafat, Muzdalifah,� Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie
said. �We have readied 138 health centers and 24 hospitals with
a total of 3,939 beds in the holy sites supported by a fleet of
150 ambulances,� he said. Nearly 14,000 units of blood and blood
derivatives of all types have been stocked to meet emergencies.
Rigorous steps have been taken to implement the preventive health
care program for the pilgrims. The instructions of the World
Health Organization are strictly followed at all entry points of
the Kingdom to prevent carriers of infectious diseases from
entering the country. Besides these steps, health officials have
been keeping a watch on outbreaks of infectious diseases in
different parts of the world. �If any cases of infectious
diseases are detected they are put in quarantine and are given
treatment. Moreover, uncompromising steps will be adopted to stop
the disease from spreading,� the minister said.
Al-Manie�s ministry has distributed medicines and medical
equipment worth SR100 million to seven hospitals and health care
centers in Makkah, Madinah and other holy sites for use during the
Haj season. �We have deployed 800 health officials for the
distribution of these medical items among the health
facilities,� said Dr. Khalid Al-Hussein, director general of
medical supplies at the ministry. The Civil Defense Department
plays a big role during Haj in preventing fire accidents and
carrying out rescue operations. It will deploy more than 13,000
personnel, 3,000 vehicles and eight helicopters on Haj duty. �A
comprehensive civil defense plan will be implemented in
collaboration with other government departments,� said Gen.
Sulaiman bin Abdullah Al-Amro, commander of the department�s Haj
force. �We have carried out a number of mock drills to improve
performance,� he said.
The department has set out special plans to face problems caused
by heavy rainfalls and flash floods in the holy sites during the
Haj season. Owners of high-rise buildings around the Grand Mosque
in Makkah have been asked to take extra safety measures and keep
additional fire extinguishers as a first line of defense until the
civil defense officers manage to reach the location.
The construction of more than 40,000 durable fireproof tents in
Mina, where pilgrims spend most of their time during the five-day
Haj, has minimized the work of civil defense officers. The
SR3-billion tent project, carried out by the Ministry of Municipal
and Rural Affairs, is considered one of the most important
projects implemented in Mina for the welfare and security of
pilgrims. About 3.88 million meters of fireproof material has been
used for the project that covers 2.5 million square meters. These
highly advanced, modern tents have been provided with 42,000
air-conditioners, 240,000 electric lamps and 170,000 fire
extinguishing hoses.
The Kingdom has spent more than SR25 billion in developing the
desert valley of Mina into a modern city with state-of-the-art
infrastructure facilities including flyovers and tunnels, and
water and electricity networks. The newly established high-tech
Jamrat Bridge with four levels is another milestone in the
planning of Mina.
Furthermore, to ensure smooth movement of pilgrims in Mina,
especially near the Jamrat bridge, the government has introduced
luggage storage facilities in the Jamrat area and other locations.
�Past experiences have shown that some of the unfortunate
incidents that took place in the stoning area were mainly due to
pilgrims carrying their luggage when performing the stoning
rituals,� Dr Habib Zainul Abideen, deputy minister of municipal
and rural affairs said. �Pilgrims will be instructed to keep
their luggage in the new baggage storage centers. They can carry
their travel documents and other valuables in a backpack while
performing the stoning ritual,� he said.
Source: Arab
News
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