Does a safer Hajj mean less pilgrims? Twitter thinks so

Published September 28th, 2015 - 01:50 GMT
The way to prevent a stampede like we saw Saturday may be through smaller country quotas each year. (AFP/File)
The way to prevent a stampede like we saw Saturday may be through smaller country quotas each year. (AFP/File)

The Hajj stampede in Mina on Saturday marked the worst accident the religious pilgrimage has seen since 1990, with almost 800 dead and 1000 more injured, according to official numbers. Even that is up for debate though. This week, a Saudi official speaking on the condition of anonymity told Al Jazeera the death toll was actually somewhere around 1,184.  

This year more than two million pilgrims traveled to Mecca. And while other factors intensified the chaos of the stampede, the reality is that crowds that size are almost impossible to control. 

That's been the mindset behind one of the Internet's solutions to stop situations like this from happening in the holy city again— scale back the number of pilgrims inside.

The trip to Mecca is one of the five pillars of Islam and a requirement for all able-bodied Muslims. As it stands now, each Muslim country is allowed pilgrimage visas to .1 percent of its population. Critics suggest such high numbers are inviting problems like the stampede, and the way to prevent them begins with less pilgrims.

See some of the responses below. 

 

 

 

 

 

Iranian pilgrims' quota should be reduced and be monitored.


County quotas should be reduced and the Hajj must be allowed for people above 50 only.


Saudi Arabia should present its apology, and the Hajj number should be limited to 1 million next year.


Tags:Mecca
Loading content ...

Subscribe

Sign up to our newsletter for exclusive updates and enhanced content
Subscribe Now