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January 20, 2006 |
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PRINCE NAIF IBN ABDUL AZIZ CALLS ON MUSLIM SCHOLARS TO FIND RELIGIOUS SOLUTIONS TO PROLONG THE TIME OF STONING BEFORE AND AFTER NOON TO PROTECT LIVES OF PILGRIMS AND TO PERFORM THIS STONING RITUAL EASILY. THE FORMATION OF SPECIALIZED COMMITTEES TO ACCURATELY IDENTIFY THE REASONS, AND SET UP THE MECHANISMS TO PREVENT SUCH MATTERS IN THE FUTURE. IMAMS OF THE HOLY MOSQUES URGE PEOPLE TO FOLLOW THE RULES AND PERFORM THEIR RITUALS ACCORDINGLY. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior and Chairman of Hajj Higher Committee received the commanders of Security Forces participating in this year's Hajj season. At the outset of the meeting, Prince Naif addressed the officers expressing his condolences on the death of pilgrims at Al-Jamarat (stoning) Bridge. He noted that their death has been predestined by Almighty Allah, praying to Almighty Allah to accept their Hajj rituals and make them martyrs on the third day of Eid Al-Adha. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz pointed out that all security and other capabilities have been recruited for preserving pilgrims' safety, stressing that security bodies have prevented many things that might lead to the killing of other pilgrims. He noted the presence of a great number of security men in this year's Hajj season, affirming that the number will increase in the coming years. There are two important matters that should be taken into consideration to prevent the occurrence of such incident, and even if it happens it will be less in size, Prince Naif said. He called on Muslim scholars in the Kingdom and abroad to find religious solutions to prolong the time of stoning ritual before and after noon to protect lives of pilgrims and to perform this stoning ritual easily. The second matter is the organizational and guidance aspect at home and abroad to direct pilgrims to keep calm while performing this ritual, not to disturb each other, to benefit from the long time and not to crowd since the fall of one person leads others to be in panic. The Prince stated that he ordered that specialized committees to be formed to very accurately identify the reasons, affirming that their reports will be studied, assessed and dealt with to prevent such matter in the next years' Hajj seasons. All efforts will be exerted to protect the lives of Muslims in the holy sites, the Prince added. He called again on Muslim scholars to facilitate Hajj rituals particularly stoning to prevent occurrence of such incident. Our intensive efforts have prevented infringement on pilgrims' security from any attempt, harm or planned matters such as fires or others, the Prince said. He expressed the pride of Saudi leadership and people in security men for the services provided and being provided for pilgrims, Umrah performers and visitors of the Prophet's Mosque. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz affirmed that the Committees' reports will be referred to Hajj Higher Committee to be deeply studied and to find practical solutions. Then General Mahmoud Ibn Mohammed Bakhesh, Director General of General Intelligence and Chairman of Officers Higher Committee delivered a speech in which he noted that security preparations for Hajj season always start after the end of Hajj works. The meeting was attended by Prince Ahmed Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Interior; Prince Mohammed Ibn Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs; Prince Nawaf Ibn Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz; and a number of the Ministry's senior officers. The Jamarat bridge stampede which occurred in Mina led to the death of about 363 people, the Official Security Spokesman of the Ministry of Interior major general Mansour Al-Turki told a press conference. Those who were injured in the stampede and are still in hospitals until now total about 45 people, he said. The spokesman explained that out of the 363 dead people, 203 people have been identified. they included 118 males and 85 females. He noted that the process of identification is still going on. The spokesman highlighted efforts exerted by authorities to provide help to the pilgrims who fell in the stampede. The spokesman said that among those who were identified, there were people from a large number of nationalities adding that more detailed information can be learnt by contacting the emergency center. The spokesman attributed the stampede to overcrowding at the area of Jamarat. He stated that in next years' Hajj seasons, the movement of pilgrims at Jamarat area will be improved through the construction of a new multi-storeyed bridge that will smooth the movement of pilgrims in the area. Then Al-Turki and other officials reply to reporters' questions. The Official Security Spokesman of the Ministry of Interior pointed out that emanating from our previous experience, we can annually deal with 2 million pilgrims. He reported the nationalities of nearly 179 identified dead pilgrims as follows: 11 Bangladeshis; 5 Algerians; 10 Egyptians; 44 Indians; 2 Omanis; 37 Pakistanis; 18 Saudis; 1 Jordanian; 7 Yemenis; 3 Iraqis; 2 Iranians; 2 Syrians; 6 Turks; 6 Sudanese; 6 Maldivians; 2 Chinese; 4 Moroccans; 5 Afghans; 1 Ethiopian; 1 German; 1 Turkmenistani; 1 Chadian; 1 Belgian; 1 Nigerian; 1 Palestinian; and 1 Ghanaian. -- Meanwhile work on the new multilevel Jamrat Bridge in Mina, which was the scene of a deadly stampede that killed over 360 pilgrims during this Hajj, began. 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 Hajj season ended in order to build two of the four levels of the new bridge by next year's Hajj. The design of the new bridge aims at reducing congestion in Jamrat at any one time or point and avoiding the occurrence of stampedes. Saudi authorities have handed over 212 identified bodies of the stampede victims to their relatives, according to Khaled Al-Mirghalani, spokesman of the Health Ministry. They included bodies of 36 Saudis, 31 Pakistanis, 24 Indians, 22 Egyptians, 13 Yemenis, 11 Sudanese, 10 Turks, eight Iraqis, seven Omanis, six Afghans, six Maldivians, five Moroccans, four Palestinians, four Chinese, four Syrians, three Britons, three Somalis, three Libyans, two Indonesians, two Bangladeshis, two Ghanaians, and one each from the UAE, Jordan, Chad, France, Germany and Burkina Faso, Mirghalani said. He said most of the pilgrims injured in the accident had left hospitals in Makkah and Mina. "Only four an Indian, a Pakistani, a Moroccan and a Chinese remain at hospital," he added. The new Jamrat expansion project, which was planned a year ago, will be completed within four years. "The problem is with the high density of the pilgrims at the entrance points of the bridge and the design of the new bridge aims at fragmenting that density and helping pilgrims reach Jamrat quickly," said Mohammed Idrees, deputy dean of King Fahd Hajj Institute at Um Al-Qura University and head of the institute's Jamrat Bridge design team. The new bridge will have ten entrances distributed on the four levels plus the ground floor to accommodate the pilgrims coming from different directions. The ground and first level of the bridge are for pilgrims coming in from east Mina, who account for the highest percentage. The second level is for pilgrims coming in from Makkah side, the third from north Mina and the new pilgrim residences in the tent city, and the fourth level is for pilgrims coming in from south Makkah through King Abdul Aziz Road. "This way we can fragment the density of the pilgrims before they reach the throwing site," Idrees told Arab News. There will be three main tunnels for transporting vehicles. These tunnels will be connected to service towers for garbage collectors, ambulances and other services. There is also a tunnel to be used by special delegations and VIPs. The project also includes preparing the area for the bridge, removing some of the current tents and relocating them, and correcting the route of some roads and paths as well as providing water, electricity and other services. The project is being implemented under the supervision of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs. "The design of the bridge has taken into consideration the environmental aspects and agrees with the shape of the valley and the surrounding area," said Mohamed Idrees. It is designed to accommodate three to four pilgrims per square meter with a total capacity of almost three million pilgrims during the peak five-and-a-half hours. "Additional levels can be added to the bridge if needed in the future," said Idrees. The new facility will have two helipads for air ambulance services and eight buildings for wide escalators. It is 90 meters wide and the top level will be covered with a similar material used for the tents rather than concrete to provide shade for the pilgrims from sun and rain. The bridge will have the same oval shape as now for the stone throwing area for a streamlined movement. Many technological facilities and services will be available to facilitate movement, clearing of the stones, cleaning, and emergency, which will reduce the pressure on the ground personnel. More than 5,000 workers are involved in the construction of a new high-tech Jamrat Bridge in Mina, which will be completed in three years, according to Habeeb Zainul Abideen, deputy minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs. He said work on the new bridge, which is designed to hold more than three million pilgrims in peak hours, would start soon after removing the debris of the old bridge, which is being demolished. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has sanctioned SR4.2 billion for the project, which was planned to avoid the recurrence of stampedes that have resulted in deaths during this year's Hajj and in the past. Binladin Group, which won the contract, has set up a large factory in Bahra, near Jeddah, to manufacture pre-cast concrete blocs required for the project. Zainul Abideen said the launch of the project soon after the Hajj has nothing to do with the stampede that killed more than 360 pilgrims in Jamrat this year. "The project was approved by authorities in the middle of last year," he said. The project includes expansion of the area around Jamrat, its automatic cleaning and transportation of pilgrims from tents to the Jamrat and back by train. The new Jamrat, with four floors apart from the ground floor, will have electronic stairs, 12 entrances and 12 exits and will be linked with tents by hanging bridges. Zainul Abideen said the project also included setting up of the most advanced early warning systems in order to avoid overcrowding and stampedes. There will be three tunnels: One near King Faisal Street and the second below Souk Al-Arab Street and the third close to a new road. "The tunnels will be linked with the basement of the new bridge," the minister said, adding that first-aid service facilities would be available at the basement. Ambulance vehicles could be taken to the different floors of the bridge through its vast escalators. The new bridge will also have an air-conditioning system. Mohammed Idrees, deputy dean of King Fahd Haj Institute at Um Al-Qura University and head of the institute's Jamrat Bridge design team, said the project would reduce the density of pilgrims at the entrances of the bridge. The ground and first level of the bridge are designated for pilgrims coming in from east Mina, who represent the majority. The second level is for pilgrims coming in from Makkah side, the third from north Mina and the new pilgrim residences in the tent city, and the fourth level is for pilgrims coming in from south Makkah through King Abdul Aziz Road. "This way we can fragment the density of the pilgrims before they reach the throwing site," Idrees said. On the other hand at the Holy Mosque in Makkah and at the Prophet Mosque's in Madinah imams at the Friday prayers highlighted that events like this show that pilgrims should know the rules and practices of Hajj," Sheikh Saud Al-Shuraim, an imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, told thousands of pilgrims gathered at the large mosque complex for the Juma prayer. He said pilgrims where pushing each others and did not abide by the rules of the security forces. Sheikh Saud prayed for the dead and the injured and said organization alone is not enough and people should be made aware of the rules they should follow in such a large crowd, He noted that such responsibility falls on organisations and Hajj missions which have the role to explain to pilgrims how to perform their rituals according to the rules. At the Friday prayers at the Prophet mosque's in Madinah the Imam Sheikh Ali Ibn Abdul Rahman Al Huthayfi prayed for the dead, praised the organization and called for providing the pilgrims with more information on the rituals and the rules they should follow to prevent such accidents in the future. He asked all international concerned bodies to inform their pilgrims well before they arrive to perform their rituals. Meanwhile Hajj Minister Fouad Al-Farsy said that nearly three million Muslim faithful, including foreign pilgrims, Saudis and expatriate workers performed Hajj this year. Addressing the delegates of foreign Hajj 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 said He said the happiness of a successful completion of Hajj this year was marred by the 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 Hajj 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 Hajj operation to make the annual gathering a success. |
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