The Annual Hajj Massacre: 244 Stupid Sheep Dead, Hundreds Injured

[shemp]

244 Muslim Pilgrims Die in Hajj Stampede (http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040201_535.html)

MINA, Saudi Arabia Feb. 1 -- Nearly 250 Muslim worshipers died in a hajj stampede Sunday during the annual stoning of Satan ritual in one of the deadliest tragedies at the notoriously perilous ceremony.

The stampede, during a peak event of the annual Muslim pilgrimage, or hajj, lasted about a half-hour, Saudi officials said. There were 244 dead and hundreds of other worshippers injured, some critically, Hajj Minister Iyad Madani said.

"All precautions were taken to prevent such an incident, but this is God's will. Caution isn't stronger than fate," Madani said.

That's right, Allah gathered them all together so he could bump them off all at once. Saves time and energy that way I guess.

[geni]

Give the guy credit he is blameing bad things on Allah as well as crediting him for good things

[Iconoclast]

From the ABC News article
"All precautions were taken to prevent such an incident, but this is God's will. Caution isn't stronger than fate," Madani said.
See, that's what the Enron guys should have said.

[Hutch]

Well, just to add something so someone reading this thread might actually learn something. :p

The period of the Haij has between 2-3 million people visiting Mecca and performing certain rituals that are central to the Muslim faith--one of the tenet of Islam is that all Muslims, if they are physically and financially able, must perform haij at least once in their lifetime.

The problem comes during the "stoning of the devil", where each pilgrim must throw a certain number (I believe 14) of pebbles at a pillar representing the evil one. Access to the pillars is rather restricted, although the Saudi's have tried to build more bridges/
tunnels in the past few years.

So you take thousands of people crushed together, many in a religious fevor, somebody trips, or a fight starts, or someone loses it, and well...the panic and madness of crowds is fairly universal.

Not excusing it, just trying to bring some perspective in. As for the statement "it God's Will", that is also a tenet of the Islamic faith (In'Shallah) that one who has not lived among the Arab states has trouble understanding (I spent 4 years there and am not sure I understand it)

[geni]

Originally posted by Hutch

The problem comes during the "stoning of the devil", where each pilgrim must throw a certain number (I believe 14) of pebbles at a pillar representing the evil one. Access to the pillars is rather restricted, although the Saudi's have tried to build more bridges/
tunnels in the past few years.


Doen't the pillar get worn down? Considering ow long this has been going on for and the number of people involved you would explect it to.

[shemp]

Originally posted by geni


Doen't the pillar get worn down? Considering ow long this has been going on for and the number of people involved you would explect it to.

They probably just get a new one at Home Depot every few years.

[El Greco]

How apporpriate

[triadboy]

Originally posted by shemp

That's right, Allah gathered them all together so he could bump them off all at once. Saves time and energy that way I guess.


This proves that God loves America. We are such a blessed nation!

[fishbob]

This proves that God loves America. We are such a blessed nation!

I wonder how many football fans are going to croak off on Super Bowl Sunday from chip clogged arteries. Fan vs fanatic, Islam vs couch potatoism, tossing rocks vs zapping the remote.








Note to the humor impaired, this is a joke

[Skeptic]

The problem comes during the "stoning of the devil", where each pilgrim must throw a certain number (I believe 14) of pebbles at a pillar representing the evil one.

With all those pilgrims, where do they all find pebbles? Somebody must be making a fortune selling stones for the stoning... nahhhhhh... that (http://www.mwscomp.com/movies/brian/brian-03.htm) can't be right...

("and a packet of gravel...")

[The idea]

Originally posted by Hutch
The problem comes during the "stoning of the devil", where each pilgrim must throw a certain number (I believe 14) of pebbles at a pillar representing the evil one. [...]

As usual, the face of Emmanuel Goldstein, the Enemy of the People, had flashed on to the screen. [...] Goldstein was the renegade and backslider who once, long ago (how long ago, nobody quite remembered), had been one of the leading figures of the Party, almost on a level with Big Brother himself, and then had engaged in counter-revolutionary activities, had been condemned to death, and had mysteriously escaped and disappeared. The programmes of the Two Minutes Hate varied from day to day, but there was none in which Goldstein was not the principal figure. He was the primal traitor, the earliest defiler of the Party's purity. All subsequent crimes against the Party, all treacheries, acts of sabotage, heresies, deviations, sprang directly out of his teaching. [...]

The dark-haired girl behind Winston had begun crying out 'Swine! Swine! Swine!' and suddenly she picked up a heavy Newspeak dictionary and flung it at the screen. It struck Goldstein's nose and bounced off [...]

Two Minutes Hate --> "stoning of the devil"
Emmanuel Goldstein --> pillar/devil
Big Brother --> God
Newspeak dictionary --> pebbles

[jimmygun]

Don't blame the religion, blame the followers that are commanded to be there. Besides, it was only 244 people who died a terrifying death (what with being trampled to death). Put it into perspective...one billion Muslims and less than 250 get stomped to death in an idiotic display of frenzy. Not so bad really.