In 2002, a Less-Travelled Road to Mecca
Security fears and recession mean fewer Hajj pilgrims this year
Weekly Trust, Kaduna, Nigeria, February 21, 2002 

Each year, roughly two million of Islam's one billion adherents worldwide make their way to Mecca for a pilgrimage that is a pillar of their faith.

Saudi Arabian authorities expect hundreds of thousands of people to perform the hajj or pilgrimage next week. But the travellers will find their journey less crowded and security much tighter when they arrive.

Some have opted to stay away from Mecca this year, either because they fear more terrorist attacks in the wake of Sept. 11 or because of the global economic recession. Tour operators say a substantial decrease in foreign visitors is already evident.

"The number of pilgrims from the Indian subcontinent, especially India and Pakistan, has decreased by 25 to 30 per cent, mainly because they can't afford it," said Saeed Abdul Razzak, director of the Haramain Pilgrimage Campaign. "The cost for citizens from these countries has increased by 50 per cent."

Saudi authorities have tried to reassure Muslims that everything possible is being done to ensure a safe and smooth pilgrimage, but Razzak expects just half of the nearly 90,000 North American and European pilgrims who performed the hajj last year.

This is not the first time security and safety have been major concerns at the hajj. Last year, about 35 Muslims died in a stampede while performing a ritual called "stoning of the devil." Stampedes in 1994 and 1998 killed and injured hundreds of people, and in the most deadly tragedy related to the hajj, 1,426 pilgrims died in a stampede in 1990.

The pilgrimage to Mecca, birthplace of Prophet Muhammad and home to Islam's holiest shrine, is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims who are able-bodied and can afford the trip are obliged to do it once in their lifetime.

To keep the number of pilgrims reasonable, the government sets a quota of one pilgrim for every 1,000 people in each of the 56 members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. For other nations, Saudi authorities determine quotas based on the number of applicants.

Covered with a black cloth, the Kaaba houses the Black Stone. It was a pagan pilgrimage site before Muhammad destroyed the idols there and established the worship of one God. From Mecca, the pilgrims head toward Mina, a small tent city that comes alive only during the hajj.

They will spend the night there, then journey at dawn to Mount Arafat - about 10 miles southwest of Mecca - where Muslims believe that Muhammad gave his last sermon 14 centuries ago. At Mount Arafat, the pilgrims chant in unison, "Here I am, oh Almighty, here I am." The pilgrims trek to the nearby plain of Muzdalifah at sunset to collect pebbles for the symbolic ritual of "stoning the devil" in Mina the next day.

After the stoning, from giant ramps that surround three pillars symbolizing the devil, the pilgrims slaughter a camel, sheep or cow to mark the beginning of Eid al-Adha, or the "Feast of the Sacrifice."

The act commemorates God's provision of a ram at Mina to substitute for Abraham's impending sacrifice of his son. It is celebrated by Muslims around the world, and is regarded as the most important feast in the Islamic calendar.

Recognizing that the stoning of the devil was among the most hazardous rituals for the pilgrims, authorities have over the past few years expanded the areas leading to the pillars, erected giant ramps to facilitate access and reviewed how the pilgrims move toward them.

"The precautions in place are more than adequate," Razzak said.