Mena tragedy (2)

Welcome to the 2nd part of our 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 Arabia, which this year has violated the tenets of Islam by barring pilgrims from Iran from performing the religious obligation of Hajj.

Most tragedies during the annual Hajj pilgrimage have taken place in Mena some 5 kilometers east of Mecca. These incidents were due to either arson and sometimes due to overcrowding in which thousands of Hajj pilgrims never returned to their homelands. As we said yesterday in the first part, the Hajj is a glorious gathering of monotheism attended by millions from all over the world at the Holy Ka’ba, in obedience to God’s commandment, formalized in antiquity by Prophet Abraham, and revived as a universal institution by Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). The Hajj, in view of these facts, needs a planned and precise programme, but the Saudi regime, which is in occupation of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina for the past ninety years, has failed to guarantee security for guests to the House of God. In the past years, several incidents have taken place for pilgrims to the House of God but recounting all of them is not possible. We mention just the most important of them.  

On 10^th December, 1975 in a big fire broke out due to explosion of gas cylinder in Mena, resulting in the death and injury of over 200 pilgrims. The survivors recount the heart-rending scenes of death and injury as flames engulfed from all sides, and there were no adequate arrangement to douse the fire. There was no trace of Saudi relief workers, and the pilgrims were forced to help each other. This bitter incident failed to thaw the frozen conscience of the Saudi regime, which is indifferent to the sufferings of Muslims, and in fact is the cause of sedition amongst Muslims throughout the world.

In 1995 about one hundred pilgrims were killed and injured, and two years later a worse tragedy struck when a huge blaze in the tents set up in Mena resulting in the death of 343 pilgrims and injury to over 1500 others. As it was said, overcrowding is one of the factors for such incidents and the death of pilgrims in Mena. Sadly, instead of any improvement, with the passage of time, such tragic events have increased. During the 1990 Hajj pilgrimage, a tunnel leading to Mena was blocked with thousands of pilgrims trapped in vehicles inside, and the failure of Ventilation system, resulted in the lack of oxygen and the death of 1426 pilgrims, in addition to the hundreds of others who barely survived. In 1998 as a result of crowd pressure in Mena, 118 hajj pilgrims were killed and 180 others were injured. At the Rami al-Jamaraat or stoning of the symbolic devils, deaths occur every years because of Saudi mismanagement. In 1994, 270 pilgrims, in 2001, 35 pilgrims, in 2004, 251 pilgrims and in 2006, 360 pilgrims were killed and in each of the incidents hundreds of other pilgrims were wounded. In 2006, as a result of collapse of a hotel in Mecca, 76 people lost their lives. Most of the tragic events have been created by Saudi security forces. In 1979, after Hajj rituals, a group of opponents of the Saudi regime took the control of the Masjid al-Haraam and clashed with the security forces in which 153 pilgrims lost their life.

In 1987, an unprecedented crime took place in Mecca when Saudi forces attacked a peaceful rally of Iranian pilgrims declaring their disavowal of disbelievers, especially the US and the illegal Zionist entity. As a result 402 pilgrims were martyred and 650 others injured. The incompetence of Aal-e Saud in managing the Hajj pilgrimage is obvious, and it is time world Muslims mobilized efforts for setting up an international committee to administer the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

FK/AS/ME