Opinion: Saudis' greed caused Hajj stampede

[unhappycamper]

http://www.dw.com/en/opinion-saudis-greed-caused-hajj-stampede/a-18741158

The Hajj stampede could have been avoided by reducing the number of pilgrims to Mecca. But for the Saudis, the Hajj is a business opportunity and more important than the safety of pilgrims, writes DW's Shamil Shams.

Opinion: Saudis' greed caused Hajj stampede
Shams Shamil
25.09.2015

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.

~snip~

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.

[MisterP]

1. it's a "theme park" version of Mecca, or a human-processing machine built of walls and tunnels