MAKKAH – The collapse of the gates of the Mallawi neighborhood cemetery here nearly nine months ago has resulted in unauthorized trespassing by children who use the cemetery to play while residents use it as a passageway. Many have called for installing appropriate gates and posting a sign listing the proper ethics for respecting the sanctity of cemeteries. The Secretariat of the Holy City recently announced a project to fence all cemeteries in Makkah but the project has not yet begun. Amer Subaie, a resident of Makkah, said “Children are riding their bikes on the graves, while laborers and residents use it as a pathway to move between neighborhoods.” The public relation coordinator in the Secretariat of the Holy City, Osama Zaitouni, said that the secretariat is working on launching a project for fencing all cemeteries in Makkah. Zaitouni said the project would contribute to maintaining the sanctity of the dead and added that the city's municipalities would intensify operations to remove waste from the streets and asked residents to call 940 to report shortages of trash receptacles. – SG
