Muslims continue Hajj ritual

Muslim pilgrims in Saudi Arabia symbolically stoned the devil again today, a day after 14 worshippers were trampled to death in the crowds.

Chanting “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is Great,” they threw seven small pebbles at each of three grey stone pillars in the last ritual of the five-day hajj, or annual pilgrimage.

The ritual, which symbolises the rejection of earthly temptations, will be repeated tomorrow as the hajj winds down.

“I am very scared because of the huge crowd,” said a 43-year old Egyptian pilgrim Abdel-Qader Hussein. “I have two kids with me, so I will try to go as late as possible when there are less people.”

Watched by guards and police, pilgrims are directed to approach the stoning site in orderly waves to avoid disasters like yesterday’s that left 14 people dead and 15 injured.

Three Indians, four Pakistanis, two Egyptians, an Iranian, a Yemeni and a Sudanese were killed.

Two others had not yet been identified.

Following the disaster, Saudi authorities placed eight medical units around the pillars to deal with any stampedes.

Al-Maymani said ambulances could not reach the site of the stampede quickly yesterday because of the traffic jams caused by the nearly two million pilgrims converging in Mina.

In the past, the Mina ritual has been the source of dangerous bottlenecks.

In 2001, 35 people died in a stampede there. In 1998, 180 died performing the same ritual.

A year earlier, more than 340 people died in a fire that raced through pilgrims’ tents.

Able-bodied Muslims are required to perform the hajj at least once if they can afford it.

The rituals that began in the nearby holy city of Mecca – birthplace of Islam and its seventh century prophet, Muhammad – comprise a spiritual journey that supposedly cleanses the soul and wipes away sins.

Pilgrims are expected to pay a farewell visit to the Grand Mosque in Mecca before leaving.

Some will also visit Medina, where Muhammad is buried.