UK Muslims Call for Probe into Mecca Crush
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – UK Muslims have called for an inquiry into Thursday’s Mecca crush which left hundreds of Muslim pilgrims dead and many others injured.
Islamic Society of Britain director Khalid Anis called for an inquiry into Thursday’s Mecca crush, but said he does not anticipate a full investigation.
“Am I confident that it will be looked at and analyzed properly? No. Because it’s already turned into a blame game and we have no idea of the story," Anis said, Russia Today reported on Friday.
“So I’m not confident that it will be sorted and you know, people will still go to Hajj and people will still put themselves at risk, and you know, that’s a tragedy really, that people are allowed to die on something which should be spiritual and peaceful. It’s always been difficult to go on Hajj, so nobody’s denying the difficulty, but it should not any longer in this day and age be life threatening.”
His comments come as more than 120 British Muslims have been reported “missing” by family and friends in the UK.
The Muslim Council of Wales announced on Friday it knew of around 120 people in three groups from Cardiff, Newport and Swansea who are unaccounted for.
A spokesperson said other Brits attending the Hajj had made contact, but 120 remained missing.
Farhan Khalid, from the Association of British Hujjaj (ABH) which provides pilgrims with pre-travel health and safety advice, said there are “big problems” with education on health and safety at the pilgrimage.
The annual pilgrimage to Mecca has been plagued with tragic stampedes and crushes.
In 1990 more than 1,400 pilgrims were killed during a stampede in a tunnel. Since then, 244 were killed in 2004, and more than 360 killed in a crush in Mina.
