Gaza war hangs over haj as pilgrims gather in Mecca
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Muslim worshippers walking at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca ahead of the annual haj pilgrimage.
PHOTO: AFP
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MECCA, Saudi Arabia - Hundreds of thousands of Muslims have gathered in the Saudi holy city of Mecca for the haj pilgrimage in the shadow of the Gaza war.
One of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings officially begins on June 14, and Saudi officials are trying to keep the focus on prayers.
The Gulf kingdom’s minister in charge of religious pilgrimages, Mr Tawfiq al-Rabiah, warned last week that “no political activity” will be tolerated.
The haj, one of the five pillars of Islam, must be performed at least once by all Muslims with the means, and as at June 6, around 1.2 million pilgrims had already arrived in Saudi Arabia from abroad to take part.
The year 2023 saw more than 1.8 million people complete the haj rites, which last for several days.
Around 90 per cent came from overseas, mainly from elsewhere in the Arab world and from Asia, according to official figures.
Israel’s military operations against Hamas militants in Gaza have “created a lot of anger in (the) broader Muslim world”, turning this year’s haj into a “test” for Saudi leaders, said Mr Umer Karim, an expert on Saudi politics at the University of Birmingham.
“Protest or performance is bound to happen by individuals or groups of pilgrims, and Saudis understand this is a slippery slope,” he said.
“Thus for Saudi rulers, conducting haj is a matter of prestige, but also a test of their governance.”
The bloodiest-ever Gaza war broke out after Hamas’ Oct 7 attack
The Israeli army then launched a devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip that has left at least 37,164 dead, the majority of them civilians, according to data from the Health Ministry of the Hamas-led Gaza government.
Saudi Arabia has never recognised Israel but de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was considering establishing formal diplomatic ties with Israel before the Oct 7 attack.
Saudi leaders remain in talks with US officials about a so-called mega-deal that would see Riyadh recognise Israel
However, Saudi officials have said ties with Israel are impossible
Saudi King Salman issued a decree on June 10 to host 1,000 pilgrims “from the families of martyrs and the wounded from the Gaza Strip”, bringing to 2,000 the number of Palestinian pilgrims to be hosted in 2024, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.
The haj is a source of legitimacy for Saudi rulers, and King Salman’s title includes “custodian of the two holy mosques” in Mecca and Medina.
Heat fears
The rites in Mecca and its surroundings fall again in 2024 during the hot Saudi summer, with officials forecasting average high temperatures of 44 deg C.
In 2023, more than 2,000 people suffered heat stress, which includes heatstroke, exhaustion, cramps and rashes, according to the Saudi authorities.
The real figure was probably far higher, as many sufferers were not admitted to hospitals or clinics.
Worshippers have already arrived en masse in Mecca to begin circling the Kaaba, the large black cubic structure in the Grand Mosque in Mecca towards which all Muslims pray.
Large crowds at the haj have proved hazardous in the past, most recently in 2015 when a stampede during the “stoning the devil” ritual in Mina
Managing the gathering represents “a logistical achievement”, said Professor Bernard Haykel, a Saudi expert at Princeton University, with extensive surveillance and monitoring in place for security and health reasons.
Pilgrimages to Mecca are a financial windfall for Saudi Arabia, generating billions of dollars as the world’s biggest crude oil exporter tries to develop its tourism sector.
Umrah, the pilgrimage that can be performed throughout the year, drew 13.5 million worshippers in 2023, and the authorities are targeting 30 million haj and umrah pilgrims by 2030. AFP
