Egyptian Scholars Call for Change in How Hajj Is Run
It came following a deadly crane collapse in the holy city of Makkah last week.
On Friday, September 11, a large construction crane toppled over during a violent rainstorm in Makkah and crashed into the Masjid al-Haram (the Grand Mosque), killing at least 107 pilgrims and wounding 238 others.
Some Egyptian figures and scholars have underlined that this was not the first such incident happening during Hajj rituals and, given the management of Hajj by the Saudi political and religious authorities, is not likely to be the last one.
They underlined that Saudi officials should acknowledge their failure to properly hold the annual Hajj and take immediate and decisive measures to prevent such incidents from happening again.
Earlier this week, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani also criticized Riyadh for failing to prevent the tragic event, saying that the Saudi government should have taken the necessary preparatory measures to safeguard the lives of the pilgrims.
