2024-06-29 15:53:46
Riyadh: Greater than 1300 individuals have died through the not too long ago concluded Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. The scorching warmth is believed to be the explanation for these deaths. The variety of pilgrims who died is excessive who weren’t registered. That’s, that they had participated in Haj by going past the foundations set by the Saudi authorities. Earlier than the beginning of the Haj pilgrimage, the Grand Mufti of Haj had declared Haj with no allow as unlawful, and the Saudi authorities had introduced punishments like fines, jail sentences and deportation if unregistered pilgrims are arrested. Regardless of all this, it has come to gentle that a lot of pilgrims have come to Mecca with out registration, so the query arises that why are individuals pressured to do that.
CNN has performed a report on individuals who went for Hajj with out registration. CNN spoke to Mahmoud, the son of 81-year-old Abdelzahar Abdo Salem who got here for Hajj with out allow from Egypt. Mahmoud says that going for Hajj was his father’s final want however he couldn’t go as a consequence of lack of cash. The price of Hajj by official channels was 1,50,000 Egyptian kilos (3,091 US {dollars}) with out air tickets. In such a scenario, Salem took the assistance of an unlicensed firm for Hajj on the expense of 1,00,000 Egyptian kilos however Salem couldn’t return to Egypt. He was one of many greater than 1,300 pilgrims who died as a consequence of excessive warmth in Saudi Arabia throughout Hajj this yr.
Bills are the most important cause for pilgrims coming with out permits
The deaths throughout this yr’s hajj have drawn consideration to brokers who smuggle individuals on unauthorised pilgrimages. These brokers revenue from Muslims’ want to meet their spiritual obligations by bypassing official procedures and taking pilgrims on doubtlessly harmful journeys. They organize for individuals to journey on the hajj with customer visas. Customer visas bar entry to Mecca, so brokers typically lead individuals on foot throughout desert routes to succeed in the town.
Yearly Saudi authorities concern licenses permitting authorized entry to Mecca for pilgrims. These licenses give pilgrims entry to air-conditioned transport and lodging amenities. The variety of these licenses is restricted and pilgrims must pay a substantial quantity for them. Every nation is allotted licenses in proportion to its Muslim inhabitants. This course of excludes those that can not afford the license or should not included within the allocation.
Folks undertake unlawful methods to see Kaaba
Muslims connect nice significance to the Hajj pilgrimage and save for it their whole lives. But hundreds of thousands are disillusioned once they can not safe a spot by official channels or elevate sufficient cash. This has given rise to a profitable trade of journey businesses promising to deliver pilgrims to Saudi Arabia unofficially. The deaths of the Egyptians have been essentially the most talked about this yr. A Hajj package deal from an Egyptian licensed company prices US$4,760, whereas unofficial journeys price about $3,700. This can be a big quantity for poor individuals.
There is no such thing as a precise determine for the variety of Muslims who go on Hajj with no allow. Saudi information outlet Al Sharq Al Awsat stated 141,000 pilgrims who weren’t registered acquired free medical remedy throughout this yr’s Hajj season. This represents about 8 p.c of this yr’s 1.8 million pilgrims. This means the quantity is sort of giant.