Saudis' greed caused Hajj stampede

It seems like God is not very happy with the state of affairs in Saudi Arabia. There have been signs of his wrath, or displeasure, to put it mildly. First a crane crashed over pilgrims near the Kaaba – Muslims' most sacred site – killing over 100 people, and then a horrendous stampede during a ritual involving Muslim pilgrims pelting stones at symbolic devils claimed the lives of more than 700 people.

Iran has accused Saudi authorities of safety errors during the Hajj. At least 131 of its citizens have died in the stampede. Keeping aside the historic animosity between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Tehran's criticism is quite valid. In fact, we have more reasons to criticize the Saudi monarchy than just negligence during the annual pilgrimage.

The journey to Mecca for the Hajj could be one of the most profound spiritual experiences for any Muslim, but the event in Mecca has always revolved around the economy, even when traveling to the Kaaba was a pre-Islamic tradition. Muhammad's family was the custodian of the Kaaba and his Quraysh clan dealt with the financial matters during the Hajj. Until the mid-twentieth century, the Saudi economy mainly revolved around the income from the Hajj. But the discovery of oil and the new wealth transformed Riyadh's fortunes, and Saudi Arabia became one of the richest countries in the region, with its al-Saud monarchy controlling the economic and political affairs firmly.

The oil wealth (also called petrodollars) also transformed the Hajj ritual, and also the Kaaba, which the Saudis embellished with gold and silver. They began expanding the area surrounding the Kaaba to accommodate more pilgrims from all over the world.

The recent crane crash and stampede happened due to the greed of the Saudis, for whom religion is about business and money-making. The Hajj has lost its historic austerity that Muhammad emphasized. It is a corporate affair now, with five-star hotels, shopping malls and luxury apartments being constructed all around the holy site. There have also been reports of land grabs in the name of expansions by Saudi elite. At the same time, Saudi authorities continue to demolish sites that are sacred to a vast majority of Muslims, which are also historical landmarks.

Saudi officials were quick to blame some "undisciplined" African pilgrims for the stampede deaths. They said the pilgrims didn't follow the instructions. But the fact of the matter is that the tragedy could have been averted by reducing and managing the numbers of pilgrims every year. This year more than two million Hajjis (pilgrims) participated in the event, and the numbers are likely to grow every year.

The Saudis need to spend more money on the safety of people rather than building unnecessary structures in Mecca and giving out contracts to international companies to lure more and more people to the Hajj. A Muslim is only mandated to offer the Hajj pilgrimage once in life, and that too if he can afford the pilgrimage expenses. The overflow of pilgrims can easily be reduced. This greed must stop. Otherwise, there will be more crushes and more crashes, which have been happening for decades.

While the international community usually maintains silence over Saudi Arabia's grave human rights abuses, the Hajj issue is probably even more sensitive due to its religious nature. But someone has to speak up.