WHAT are the criteria for a successful Haj? If the criteria are the safety of pilgrims, a smooth stoning ritual and a Haj free from contagious diseases, then by far the Haj season this year was successful. If the criteria include the peaceful movement of large crowds from Arafat to Muzdalifah, ensuring the local metro performs properly, cracking down on squatting pilgrims and the performance of the Jeddah airport, then the success of Haj will have to be reassessed. A disaster would have occurred at the train service because of the crowding of pilgrims had it not been for the quick intervention of police. When the train broke down, people nearly missed their chance to reach Muzdalifah on time. As for squatting, this is a regular problem every year and exhausts all the energy of people working during Haj. Squatting is a problem that happens every year, without any solution being found. These squatting pilgrims did not come from the sky. They are the responsibility of domestic Haj organizations that transported them to the Haj sites and did not fulfill their responsibilities toward them when it comes to housing and food. If the pilgrim thought that his Haj is over after the Farewell Tawaf (a final circumambulation of the Holy Ka'aba before leaving Makkah) rite in the Grand Mosque, which is extremely crowded, then he only has to wait until he reaches the airport, which is even more crowded.
