Riyadh, Jun 17: Saudi Arabia is expected to scale back or call off this year's hajj pilgrimage for the first time in its modern history, observers say, a perilous decision as coronavirus cases spike.
Muslim nations are pressing Riyadh to give its much-delayed decision on whether the annual ritual will go ahead as scheduled in late July.
But as the kingdom negotiates a call fraught with political and economic risks in a tinderbox region, time is running out to organise logistics for one of the world's largest mass gatherings.
A full-scale hajj, which last year drew about 2.5 million pilgrims, appears increasingly unlikely after authorities advised Muslims in late March to defer preparations due to the fast-spreading disease.
"It's a toss-up between holding a nominal hajj and scrapping it entirely," a South Asian official in contact with Saudi hajj authorities said.
A Saudi official said: "The decision will soon be made and announced."
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, withdrew from the pilgrimage this month after pressing Riyadh for clarity, with a minister calling it a "very bitter and difficult decision".
Malaysia, Senegal and Singapore followed suit with similar announcements.
Many other countries with Muslim populations -- from Egypt and Morocco to Turkey, Lebanon and Bulgaria -- have said they are still awaiting Riyadh's decision.
In countries like France, faith leaders have urged Muslims to "postpone" their pilgrimage plans until next year due to the prevailing risks.
The hajj, a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, represents a major potential source of contagion as it packs millions of pilgrims into congested religious sites.
But any decision to limit or cancel the event risks annoying Muslim hardliners for whom religion trumps health concerns.
It could also trigger renewed scrutiny of the Saudi custodianship of Islam's holiest sites -- the kingdom's most powerful source of political legitimacy.
A series of deadly disasters over the years, including a 2015 stampede that killed up to 2,300 worshippers, has prompted criticism of the kingdom's management of the hajj.
"Saudi Arabia is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea," Umar Karim, a visiting fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, told AFP.
"The delay in announcing its decision shows it understands the political consequences of cancelling the hajj or reducing its scale."
"Buying time"
The kingdom is "buying time" as it treads cautiously, the South Asian official said.
"At the last minute if Saudi says 'we are ready to do a full hajj', (logistically) many countries will not be in a position" to participate, he said.
Amid an ongoing suspension of international flights, a reduced hajj with only local residents is a likely scenario, the official added.
A decision to cancel the hajj would be a first since the kingdom was founded in 1932.
Saudi Arabia managed to hold the pilgrimage during previous outbreaks of Ebola and MERS.
But it is struggling to contain the virus amid a serious spike in daily cases and deaths since authorities began easing a nationwide lockdown in late May.
In Saudi hospitals, sources say intensive care beds are fast filling up and a growing number of health workers are contracting the virus as the total number of cases has topped 130,000. Deaths surpassed 1,000 on Monday.
To counter the spike, authorities this month tightened lockdown restrictions in the city of Jeddah, gateway to the pilgrimage city of Mecca.
"Heartbroken"
"The hajj is the most important spiritual journey in the life of any Muslim, but if Saudi Arabia proceeds in this scenario it will not only exert pressure on its own health system," said Yasmine Farouk from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
"It could also be widely held responsible for fanning the pandemic."
A cancelled or watered-down hajj would represent a major loss of revenue for the kingdom, which is already reeling from the twin shocks of the virus-induced slowdown and a plunge in oil prices.
The smaller year-round umrah pilgrimage was already suspended in March.
Together, they add $12 billion to the Saudi economy every year, according to government figures.
A negative decision would likely disappoint millions of Muslim pilgrims around the world who often invest their life savings and endure long waiting lists to make the trip.
"I can't help but be heartbroken -- I've been waiting for years," Indonesian civil servant Ria Taurisnawati, 37, told AFP as she sobbed.
"All my preparations were done, the clothes were ready and I got the necessary vaccination. But God has another plan."
Comments
India , Pakistan fought any War for political reasons.. soldiers killed from both sides are victims of war... we can not say 'Pakistan killed Indian soldier kaur ' or 'India killed pakistani soldien Khan'... with that sense , what student Gurmehar said is sensible .. RSS educated people like Simha may not understand this ... by equating Dawood with Gurmehar , he indirectly honored dawood's position.
Pratap simha is hebbulli,,,,real simha,,,every student is wid simha,,,not this low life kaur,,,,she has made herself luk stupid,,,,simha roar...
Guys please ignore the comments of \ naren kotian, Singapore\" always negative comments on Muslim on a manner like children of primary school age.....
just do not entertainment.... \"Kesarigi Kallu Haakabedi\""
hahaha 6 comments out of which 5 comments from one particular community , this says all :) hahaha ..now after seeing this message , madrasa IT cell , will change name as rama , krishna , suresha , mangesha , kaamesha ,pumpesha , pottel raja etc and start posting comments .hahaha... azeeza i like it ilike it .burnol beka , ice mele andu itkondu kooru
Which POLICE men - those who take bribe each and every corner.
Don't COMPARE MARTYR's with POLICE MEN.
BJP IT Cell has set up sophisticated telephone exchanges to sell India's military secrets to Pakistan. One of their gang busted recently in Madhya Pradesh. Due to this many of our brave soldiers lost their lives under the present govt. Sanghis have been anti-Indian, anti-secular, anti-women fascist gang right from pre- independence till today. No wonder their opposition to this sister.
it was not the chaay wala who killed innocent Muslims, pregnant women and kids in Gujarat but his supporters
Naren Thoo kitha bhi bonko tera asliyath har bar niklega . jb thoo har bhar bhonkega
BJP member's caught providng information to ISI.....hi hi hi hi hi people won't forget
Modi picked himself is garbage and picked all garbage in his administration....
rightly said ... jihadists are taking democracy as an advantage and commiting henious acts against India . bholo bharath mata ki jai ... jai bjp , jai sangh parivar ,jihadists media are screaming and rallying behind this gal as she is supporting pakistan .
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