At least 719 Muslim pilgrims crushed to death at hajj in Saudi Arabia

MINA, Saudi Arabia -- Two huge waves of Muslim hajj-goers collided at an intersection on Thursday near the Islamic holy site. More than 700 were crushed and trampled to death in the holy frenzy to get close to a stone that was said to be a gift from Allah, but had been used for pagan rituals long before Islam began.

This was the worst disaster at the hajj in twenty-five years. In 2006 in the same area, 360 Muslims were crushed and killed in a stampede, while in 2004, 244 were killed. The worst hajj-related disaster recorded was in 1990, when 1,426 Muslims killed each other in a stampede in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to a holy site in Mecca.

"People were climbing over one another just to breathe," Abdullah Lotfy of Egypt said. "It was like a wave. You go forward and suddenly you go back."

The hajj drew over 2 million Muslims from over 180 countries this year. It's a holy pain in the neck for the Saudi kingdom, who have spent billions of oil dollars to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims to maintain safety and security at the yearly event where non-Muslims are not allowed.

An investigation was begun by the Saudis, according to Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki [a man who is the very model of a modern Major General]. Al-Turki added that initial reports showed two crowds coming from opposite directions and converged at an intersection in the town of Mina, on the outskirts or out-burqas of Mecca.

This is when the not getting along with their fellow Muslims. It started with pushing and shoving and escalated into a "I gotta get there first because Allah is waiting for me."

"Unfortunately, these incidents happen in a moment," al-Turki said at a fake news conference.

However, four survivors wondered how officials managing the flow of human traffic could allow two enormous crowd on a collision course to intersect on two streets packed with pilgrims.

"What happened was more than they were ready for," Lotfy told the AP.

The Saudi civil defense directorate said late Thursday the death toll reached 719, but that would rise as bodies continued to be counted and sent to the morgue. At least 863 people were injured.

According to an AP journalist, there were bodies still lying on the ground over 10 hours after the crush and stampede in Mina, a valley containing 160,000 tents, none of which were purchased at Cabelas. The town is about 3 miles from Mecca.

One crowd had finished throwing pebbles at three stone columns representing shaytan [the devil] when it collided with the second wave of people about to perform the same task. That's when all hell broke loose.

Mohammed Awad, 36, was separated from his 56-year-old father when the pushing began. Awad said he tried to get out of the crush of bodies for 30 minutes and was eventually able to climb over a gate with others. It took him an hour before he could look for his father who was beneath 10 bodies, but he was still alive.

"You can't count how many bodies there were. They were stacked high," Awad said.

The place was a mess. Scores of bodies still dressed in terry cloth garb worn during hajj were lying amid crushed wheelchairs and water bottles. The streets where the trampling deaths occurred were blocked off by military police.

The Saudis take pride in their role as keepers of Islam's holiest, albeit most dangerous site to visit. Every Muslim is required to perform at least one pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lives and purchase a bottle of water.

One would think that with over 100,000 security forces and 5,000 CCTV cameras throughout Mecca and Medina, this collision of wills and determination could have been avoided.

But perhaps Allah works in strange ways.

And for many Muslims, if you're going to die, dying in Mecca is a golden guarantee to paradise. Even if it happens in a stampede.

This was the second major screwup of the hajj season. On September 11th, a construction crane mysteriously crashed down onto the Grand Mosque, killing 111 people and injuring over 390 others. Authorities blamed it on high winds from a powerful storm.

This tragedy came as Muslims worldwide marked the start of Eid al-Adha holiday, a festive time in which livestock is slaughtered and distributed to the poor [Muslims].

In Lahore, Pakistan, Sajida Arif said her father, Haji, was among the dead. "Before leaving for the hajj, he told me he had a wish to be buried in Mecca," she said.

Be careful what you wish for.


Tweet

Mecca's death toll doesn't break the record

The death toll is now up to 717 and at least 863 others were injured in an attempt to walk around a pagan stone known as the Hajj, located in the Muslim so-called holy city of Mecca. The estimated crowd of stone worshipers is about 2 million. 

If you thought the "Pet Rock" was a big deal, this tops it by far.

The stone-walking thing marks the start of the Eid al-Adha holiday which signifies a break in other aspects of Islamic stoning and Sharia related atrocities.

According to Reuters, Saudi state television reported the stampede happened in Mina, a tent city located about 3 miles east of Mecca, just a stone's throw from the hajj.

Mina is on the main road from Mecca near the Hill of Arafat, thought by Muslims to be the place where Mohammed, the so-called prophet of Islam and pedophile, gave his farewell sermon to his army who accompanied him from the killing, robbing and slave-sex orgies, to go to Mecca near the end of his life.

About 2 weeks ago, a tragedy struck in Mecca as Muslims put head to earth, butt to sky, as they prayed to Allah. In answer to their prayers, a crane fell into the mosque killing 111 of the devout, injuring scores of others. 

According to Islamic "experts," all are now in Paradise because they died praying to the moon god, Allah.

Back to the hajj.

Many of those who died in the crush were trampled to death as they were on their way to practice throwing stones at imaginary Sharia violators. Not really--the stone throwing, while it does help develop better aim, is actually a symbolic stoning of the devil (who looks Jewish, I bet) and the objects are aimed at 3 stone columns in Mina.

Two survivors told the AP the disaster started when one wave of crazed Muslims found themselves heading into a mass of other crazed Muslims heading in another direction.

"I saw someone trip over someone in a wheelchair and several people tripping over him. People were climbing over one another just to breathe," one survivor said. "It was like a wave. You go forward and suddenly you go back."

Saudi King Salman, the guy who appears to be going for the Saudi Arabian beheading record this year, ordered the creation of a committee to look into the matter.

Major General Mansour al-Turki, the Interior ministry's spokesman, blamed it on global warming and pilgrim fatigue. He said there was no evidence that authorities were to blame for the event. 

President Barack Obama is expected to praise him for his assessment as al-Turki is in lockstep with "mainstream science."

Another survivor, call him Ismail, 58, from Nigeria, recalled falling and then being trampled over by marching Muslims. "It was terrible, it was really, really terrible," he said, not adding that it had made him question his belief in Islam as doing so would have undoubtedly made the trampling job look like kids play.

At least 89 Iranians died in the trampling and 150 were injured, none of whom were known nuclear device scientists.

Ironically, perhaps, no Egyptians died and Alex Jones is claiming that this was because it was an "inside job."

Be that as it may, this year was not even close to the record that happened in 1990, when 1426 of the faithful were trampled or suffocated in an Islamic stampede that happened in a pedestrian tunnel leading to the "holy" site. 

Other attempts at the record were in 2004 with 244 killed, and in 2006 with 364 dead. But the Saudis say it isn't their fault. 

So should we blame Allah or Mohammad? You make the call.

Meanwhile, back in New York, Pope Francis came to town.

To ensure no harm came to the pontiff via crazy fanatics or Islamic orthodox folks, the NY Police Department (NYPD) had the town tied tighter than Hillary's tush. There were no incidents, no attempts at harming the pope and nobody got crushed by the Christians who came to see him. Definitely not as exciting as Mecca.

Pope Francis met with so-called president Obama and gave the cold shoulder to the Obama buddies who believe it's okay to kill babies in the womb and halfway out.





Tweet