DOHA: Qatar’s Haj Mission played a key role in making sure that Qatari pilgrims were safe during the stampede in Mina near Makkah in Saudi Arabia late last week in which hundreds of people died.
The head of the mission was passing instructions continuously throughout the stay of the pilgrims for Haj and all the pilgrims from Qatar were religiously complying.
The Mission had chosen a time for the pilgrims for ‘stoning the Satan’ rite in Mina last Thursday when the crowds were far too less.
So Qatari pilgrims performed the ritual safely and smoothly, said the head of the Mission, Dr Abdus Salam Al Qahtani.
He told reporters yesterday that the Mission was in constant contact with pilgrims from Qatar.
Three batches of Qatari Haj pilgrims returned by air yesterday. The first batch arrived at Hamad International Airport (HIA) at 7am, the second at 4pm and the third an hour later.
“We were complying with the instructions passed by the Haj Mission so our pilgrimage was very smooth and we were all safe,” said Haji Abdul Rehman Al Zaini. He told Al Sharq at HIA that the Mission did a great job and was coordinating with all the pilgrims.
Dr Abdus Salam Al Qahtani said that after the stampede he began issuing instructions to Qatari pilgrims continuously to ensure their safety. “And they followed the instructions duly.”
Famous cleric Sheikh Ahmed Al Buanain, who also went for pilgrimage, confirmed that the Mission passed instructions for pilgrims’ safety. Dalham Al Kuwari, also returning from Haj yesterday, said he and the other Qatari pilgrims were taken for ‘stoning the Satan’ rite at a time when the crowds were much less.
The pilgrims were welcomed at HIA by officials from the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, and their relatives and friends.
The Peninsula
