L.A. Muslim Leaders Urge Safety at Mecca

Two days after a fire killed hundreds of Muslims on an annual holy pilgrimage to Mecca, Los Angeles-area Islamic leaders told followers that it is their duty to demand better safeguards from the Saudi Arabian government.

Speaking on Thursday before about 1,500 worshipers gathered at the Los Angeles Convention Center to celebrate Eid al-Adha--the commemoration of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son to God--one Islamic official said the latest tragedy is only the most recent in a string of disasters near the holy city of Mecca that beg for an explanation.

“No more will we accept the saying that it is the will of God,” said Maher Hathout of the Islamic Center of Southern California. “The will of God for that place is peace, the will of God for that place is safety, the will of God for that place is security.”

It was one of many such ceremonies around the world Thursday. In Northridge, 3,000 San Fernando Valley Muslims gathered at CSUN to celebrate the holy day.

The Islamic Center of Northridge, the off-campus organization that coordinated the event, pays to use the university’s facilities each year, said Mahmood Qureshi, vice president of the center.

The Northridge group also held memorial services for the pilgrims who died in a tent-city fire outside Mecca. “It was a festive occasion but also a somber occasion,” Qureshi said.

Even as the pilgrims were returning Thursday to the plains around Mecca where at least 343 people died in the fire, a new blaze broke out, Saudi authorities said. The latest fire caused no injuries, however.

On Tuesday, more than 1,000 people were injured in the tent-city fire, which was believed to be the result of exploding canisters of cooking gas. Some of the victims were trampled to death as the crowds fled the flames that destroyed about 70,000 tents.

All followers of Islam whose health and finances allow it are obligated to make the holy pilgrimage to Mecca--called a hajj--at least once. The journey, made by as many as 2.5 million pilgrims each year, is one of the largest gatherings of people in the world.

Wasty Shindy, a civil servant in Los Angeles, sympathized with those who were still awaiting word of their loved ones. It took hours before he was able to reach his wife, who insisted on making the hajj this year with friends because she discovered she has cancer.

“Every year something happens,” Shindy moaned. “[The Saudis] have to be more careful with the people who go over there.”

In recent years, there have been several devastating incidents. In 1994, 270 pilgrims were crushed by other worshipers in a cavern; 1,426 people died in a human stampede in 1990; three years earlier, 402 people were killed when Saudi forces fought with Iranians during anti-U.S. demonstrations.

Hathout urged those gathered to mark the end of this year’s hajj by holding the Saudis accountable for pilgrims’ safety.

“Those who announce themselves as the guardians of these shrines should live up to the responsibility or give up the responsibility to another organization of Muslims,” Hathout said. “As much as I hate to say it, it is sloppiness and lack of awareness of safety measures that should be taken by the authorities and by the people themselves.”

Some American Muslims say they are inclined to be understanding of the Saudis’ difficulties in light of the numbers of faithful who descend on the country.

“Statistically, people are more likely to die over here from a car accident,” said La Crescenta resident Kamal Hamdam, 33, holding his 3-year-old son Rami.

But others ask why the regime, known for its strict order and adherence to Muslim law, cannot also clamp down on unsafe practices.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has spent $18.6 million to expand its holy sites and put cameras on roads, bridges and tunnels to monitor traffic.

Hathout and others recommend that Saudis ban cooking, thereby removing the danger of open flames amid large crowds and high winds. They also want the Saudis to ensure easier movement in and out of the shrines and to teach better safety and hygiene.

“We have to do our part together to make it peaceful and safe--the government and us,” said Ihab Ghanem, an Egyptian visiting his wife’s family in West Los Angeles for the holiday. “Then, if something goes wrong it is the will of God.”

Times staff writer Jose Cardenas and the Associated Press contributed to this story.