Mecca Victims Mourned; Iranians Charge Incompetence by Saudis

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims wound up their rituals at Islam’s holiest sites Wednesday while the Muslim world mourned the deaths of 1,426 people in the worst pilgrimage tragedy in modern history.

Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani said the tragedy proves that the Saudi royal family is incompetent to administer Islam’s holiest shrines. Rafsanjani’s harsh remarks ended hopes that relations might improve after Saudi Arabia sent generous relief supplies to victims of last month’s earthquake in Iran.

Most pilgrims left the plains of Mina by sunset Wednesday and headed for Mecca to make a farewell circle of the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine to which Muslims turn five times in daily prayer.

Saudi authorities were setting up a large area at the holy sites for graves for those victims whose families want them to be buried at Mecca. To Muslims, to die and be buried in Mecca is a blessing.

The accident was described by King Fahd as “the will of God.” He referred to the June 21 quake in Iran that killed thousands: “The earthquake in the Muslim state of Iran: Could anyone stop that? Can anyone stop death? It is God’s will above all.”

Rafsanjani, in an interview with the official Islamic Republic News Agency and Tehran Radio, said it was “unacceptable” to liken the events in Mecca to the Iranian earthquake.

“Those officials responsible for administering the holy sanctuaries and the Saudi rulers should be answerable to the Islamic world,” he said. “From such incidents it is clear that the level of the security of the pilgrims in Saudi Arabia should be increased.”