Pilgrims return to Mina for stoning the devil
mina (Saudi Arabia) — Two million pilgrims from around the world took part on Friday in the symbolic stoning of the devil in Saudi Arabia, with tight security measures.
The ritual at the Jamarat Bridge in Mina near the holy city of Makkah marks the final major rite of the Haj. The stampede in Mina in 2015 claimed the lives of 2,300 people — the worst disaster in the history of the Haj. Saudi Arabia says it has deployed more than 100,000 security personnel to keep pilgrims safe this year.
The huge crowds took part in the stoning rite under strict surveillance, with police tape guiding the flow of pilgrims, cameras installed everywhere and helicopters hovering overhead.
Traditionally, seven pebbles are thrown at a post representing the devil, emulating the actions of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him).
Since 2004, it has been replaced by walls to accommodate the rising numbers of pilgrims.
Security forces misted pilgrims with water as they made their way to the Jamarat Bridge under the hot sun. By 8am, pilgrims were already reaching for their umbrellas as temperatures rose above 30°C.
Amin Hashkir, a 26-year-old from Casablanca in Morocco, travelled to western Saudi Arabia, together with his sister and mother, who was unable to physically perform the stoning rite herself.
“My father passed away in 2011, and we’ve been trying to make it here ever since to perform Haj for him,” Hashkir explained on a sidewalk in Mina, near the holy city of Makkah. “It was what he felt was missing from his life”. Hashkir’s mother was also counting on her son to fulfil her dream of Haj. “My mother is sick, so I offered to throw the stones for her.”
The stoning ritual, which lasts under Sunday, marks the first day of the Eid Al Adha feast. —