Pilgrims flock to Mecca for the Haj, despite deadly crane collapse

1.2 million faithful have already arrived in the holy city against a backdrop of increased violence by extremists, a surge of the deadly Mers virus, and with Saudi Arabia at war in Yemen.

Pilgrims attend Friday prayers outside the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, ahead of the Haj. Mosa'ab Elshamy/AP Photo

MECCA // Pilgrims from around the world have begun massing in Saudi Arabia for the Haj, undeterred by a crane collapse that killed 108 people at Islam’s holiest site.

More than 1.2 million faithful have already arrived for the annual Haj, which begins on Tuesday against a backdrop of increased violence by extremists, a surge of the deadly Mers virus and with the kingdom at war in Yemen.

From all races and ages, they flocked into the Grand Mosque, where they prayed — some silently in tears and others loudly in groups carrying their countries’ flags.

Previously marred by stampedes and fires that killed hundreds, the Haj had been largely incident-free for the past decade after safety improvements.

But on September 11, during severe winds, a construction crane toppled into a courtyard of the Grand Mosque.

Saudi Arabians, Iranians, Nigerians, Malaysians, Indonesians and Indians were among the dead.

About 400 more people were injured, but it has not stopped pilgrims carrying out their rituals.

“Do you see the number of people here? Do you think they are fearful? It is quite the opposite. People here have faith in God and perceive those that died as martyrs,” said Amin Al Rahman of Bangladesh.

The crane was one of several on a multi-billion-dollar expansion to accommodate increasing numbers of faithful.

With another million pilgrims expected for the Haj, King Salman acted swiftly to sanction the developer, Saudi Binladin Group.

Samira Abdulwahab, a pilgrim from Sudan who had just finished circling the cube-shaped Kaaba, which all Muslims face to pray, called the Grand Mosque “the safest place in the world”.

Yet, with Sunni Saudi Arabia’s Shiite rival Iran backing the Houthi rebels in Yemen, the country’s war has raised regional tensions.

Tehran and Riyadh also support opposing sides in Syria’s civil war, but political differences have not stopped Iran’s pilgrims from arriving for Haj.

This year’s pilgrimage coincides with a refugee crisis in Europe after millions of asylum seekers, most of them Muslim, fled wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The ISIL militant group, which has carried out widespread atrocities and considers Shiites to be heretics, has seized swathes of Syria and Iraq.

ISIL has also killed dozens of people this year in bombings at Shiite mosques in Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Kuwait.

Ahmed Nour, a Syrian living in the port city of Jeddah, said there were worries about the threat from the Houthis as well as ISIL.

“But I think that authorities here are well-prepared”, said Mr Nour, who will undertake the pilgrimage this year.

Such attacks “can’t be written off completely”, said Andrew Hammond, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations’ Middle East and North Africa programme.

“I think it’s far more likely that IS would use Haj to recruit and spread their message,” Mr Hammond said.

A challenge again facing the Haj is potential transmission of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus.

The capital Riyadh saw a jump in infections last month.

But health minister Khaled Al Falih said all pilgrims are so far in “very good, if not excellent health.”

Saudi Arabia is the country worst affected by Mers, with 528 deaths since the virus appeared in 2012.

The health ministry has mobilised 25,000 additional medical staff to support the Haj, but says there has never been a case of Mers among pilgrims.

And despite the troubled backdrop, worshippers spoke of their elation at attending an event that marks the peak of their spiritual lives.

“We feel tremendous. We’re very, very excited,” said Fawzy Abdulrahman, 59, from the Philippines.

“We’re praying for our kids,” he said, holding his wife’s hand and melting into the crowds.

* Agence France-Presse