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One in a million: Chosen hajj pilgrims in Saudi rejoice
MECCA, Saudi Arabia, July 30, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Chinese pilgrim Ni
Haoyu welled up with tears of joy after being handpicked from among
millions of Muslims vying for this year’s hajj pilgrimage, which has
been drastically curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Up to 10,000 people residing in Saudi Arabia are allowed to take
part in this year’s hajj, evoking the envy and awe of millions of
international would-be pilgrims who have been barred for the first
time in modern history.
In a hugely sensitive decision, Saudi authorities decided to scale
down the pilgrimage — which last year packed 2.5 million pilgrims
into the holy sites — to prevent it from becoming a super spreader
event for the deadly disease.
“I am overwhelmed with feelings of joy since I have been chosen to
perform the ritual,” said 43-year-old Ni from China, who is pursuing a
master’s degree at the Islamic university of Madinah.
“I couldn’t stop myself from crying after God fulfilled my desire to
do the hajj without any financial cost,” added Ni, recalling the
moment he received a text message from Saudi authorities confirming he
had been selected.
The hajj, a key pillar of Islam, typically costs thousands of
dollars for pilgrims, who often save for years as well as endure long
waiting lists for a chance to attend the ritual.
But this year, the Saudi government is covering the expenses of all
pilgrims, providing them with meals, hotel accommodation and health
care, worshippers said.
Despite the pandemic, many pilgrims also consider it safer to
participate in this year’s ritual without the usual crowds thronging
the religious sites.
The colossal crowds in previous years have led to deadly stampedes,
and they make the ritual a logistical nightmare and a potential health
hazard.
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“I can perform my rituals away from crowds, which creates an
atmosphere of spirituality and tranquility,” Wajdan Ali, a 25-year-old
Saudi nurse, who was selected after she recovered from the virus.
“The atmosphere is very different from past pilgrimages, which
saw… millions of pilgrims in Mecca,” added Ali, who is from the Red
Sea city of Jeddah.
– Strict protocols –
Pilgrims have been given electronic wristbands to allow authorities
to monitor their whereabouts when they are quarantined, with Ali
calling it a “precautionary measure”.
Authorities have enforced strict protocols to prevent an outbreak of
coronavirus.
Pilgrims, who have all been tested for the virus, are required to
wear masks, observe social distancing, and are subject to regular
temperature checks during the hajj rituals completed over five days.
Pilgrims also said they were given ihram, the traditional seamless
white hajj garment, made from a bacteria-resistant material.
Even as the chosen pilgrims count themselves fortunate, many do not
know why they were selected over other contenders in an online
selection process.
“I was chosen through the website and I don’t know why,” said Cai
Haobi, a 31-year-old student at Umm Al-Qura University in Mecca.
“A number of my colleagues at the university applied, but they all
got letters apologising for not accepting them.”
Saudi hajj authorities initially said around 1,000 pilgrims would be
allowed this year, but local media later said as many as 10,000 were
picked.
Foreign residents make up 70 percent of the chosen pilgrims,
selected through what is widely seen as an opaque government-run
lottery.
Saudi citizens make up the remaining 30 percent of the pilgrims,
with the ritual restricted to medical professionals and security
personnel who have recovered from the virus.
Whatever the method, it worked in the favour of Filipino restaurant
worker As-Shammar.
“I did not expect to be chosen,” As-Shammar said.
“I came to Saudi Arabia one year ago, and I intended to perform the
hajj after two years after I save up enough (money)… But the
coronavirus and the selection process helped me do hajj this year
instead.”
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