SAUDI ARABIA: The Saudi minister responsible for the haj, Mr Iyad Madani, instisted yesterday that precautions were taken to prevent a stampede during the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. The minister was under pressure as the death toll in yesterday's tragedy reached 244.
"All precautions were taken to prevent such an incident, but this is God's will," he said. "Caution isn't stronger than fate."
He told a press conference at least seven pilgrims were in a critical condition.
To control the crowds, the Saudi authorities set quotas for pilgrims from each country and required their own citizens to register for the pilgrimage.
Saudi security forces, which had been monitoring the ceremony from the air, tried to cordon off the area and prevent more pilgrims being crushed. Many worshippers were initially unaware of the tragedy.
The pilgrims died under a crush of people during a ritualistic stoning of the devil marking the first day of Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice.
After a sleepless night of prayer, pilgrims gather pebbles to throw at the pillars. They repeat the act seven times, chanting "bismillah" (in the name of God) and "Allahu Akbar" (God is most great). One pillar this year was reported to have the word "USA" scrawled on it.
After the ceremony, pilgrims walk to Mecca for the Tawaf, the circling of the holy stone known as the Kaaba. In 1990 1,426 pilgrims were crushed to death in a tunnel in Mecca.
During the haj, Saudi Arabia's most senior cleric denounced terrorism in what was taken to be a reference to al-Qaeda, calling it an affront to Islam. The grand mufti, Abdul-Aziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, said those who claimed to be holy warriors were shedding Muslim blood and destabilising the country.
"Is it holy war to shed Muslim blood?" he asked. "Is it holy war to shed the blood of non-Muslims given sanctuary in Muslim lands? Is it holy war to destroy the possession of Muslims?" Many of the victims of al-Qaeda-inspired suicide attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iraq, Morocco and elsewhere have been Muslims. In speaking of terrorists who killed fellow Muslims, the cleric was referring to the prophet's final sermon which says: "Know that every Muslim is a Muslim's brother, and the Muslims are brethren. Fighting between them should be avoided." He also criticised the international community, accusing it of attacking Wahhabism, the strict interpretation of Islam followed in Saudi Arabia: "This country is based on this religion and will remain steadfast on it." Saudi security forces said they had arrested seven suspects, accusing them of planning a "terrorist act". Last Thursday's arrests came on the same day gunmen killed seven people, mainly police officers who were searching a house in Riyadh in another raid.