Mena tragedy (1)

Welcome to our new 8-part series on last year’s tragedy at Mena in holy Mecca during the Hajj pilgrimage that led to the martyrdom of some 2,000 pilgrims to the symbolic house of God, the holy Ka’ba, including 464 Iranians, because of the criminal negligence of law and order by the Wahhabi regime of Saudi, which this year has violated the tenets of Islam by barring pilgrims from Iran from performing the religious obligation of Hajj. Here is the first part.

Islam as the final and most perfect of creeds revealed by God Almighty as the universal religion for all mankind, has decreed a series of life-inspiring acts of worship for the spiritual elevation of believers. Each of these acts of worship has specific rules and characteristics which make them attractive. Among these is the glorious and grand duty of Hajj pilgrimage for those who have the means and can afford the journey to holy Ka’ba in Mecca, once in a lifetime. In Surah Aal-e Imran, ayah 97, God has made Hajj obligatory on those who have the health and the means:

“And it is the duty of mankind toward Allah to make pilgrimage to the House —for those who can afford the journey to it— and should anyone renege [on his obligation], Allah is indeed without need of the creatures.”

As is clear from the Words of God, those who can afford the journey are obliged to perform the Hajj once during lifetime, in order to take important steps towards self-building and spiritual perfection.

Accordingly, every year hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Muslims from all over the world converge on holy Mecca at the start of the lunar month of Zi’l-Hijjah to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, which starts at the Masjid al-Haraam or Sacred Grand Mosque housing the holy Ka’ba, and ends at the same place after a series of special rituals in the following days at the plain of Arafaat, the Mash’ar al-Haraam and stay at Mena for the stoning of the symbolic devils and offering of an animal as sacrifice.

The Hajj is thus a wonderful opportunity for world Muslims to foster unity and solidarity by exchanging views among the differing ethnicities from all over the world, which could be useful to resolving many of the problems of the Ummah. But one of the important conditions for the Hajj pilgrimage is security, which means to the House of God should have peace of mind, tranquility of heart, and an atmosphere of safety in the places to which they journey and stay. In the past, by security, it was meant safety of travel in order to be safe from thieves, pirates and other dangers that were likely to be made while travelling by land or sea to Mecca.

Today, however, in view of the progress of science and technology, there are no such dangers, but a greater danger has recently cropped up because of the waywardness of the Wahhabi cult that is currently in occupation of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, and the terrorism in which the Aal-e Saud clan indulges against fellow Muslims. The Saudis are utterly incapable of providing security to the pilgrims. As a matter of fact, the Saudis, who are friends of the archenemies of Islam, that is the US and the illegal Zionist entity, have created obstacles for world Muslims. Last year, their mismanagement led to the death of over 2,000 pilgrims in Mena, including 464 Iranians, and this year they have violated the laws of Islam by barring Iranian pilgrims from travelling to the holy cities.

FK/AS/ME