Couldn’t that coworker’s statement be considered as contributing to a hostile working environment?
You’re referring to this?
These sorts of things can happen without anybody specifically pushing - what happens often is that the people at the back keep moving, completely unaware that there’s a blockage up ahead.
yes.
But that means that everyone is pushing. A blockage up ahead only causes a crush if the people at the back push people into it.
There’s pushing, and then there’s pushing. Once people are packed in against each other, even slight motion (as contrasted with deliberate shoving), multiplied many times over by the number of people, can cause significant trouble. The root of the problem is too many people in too small a space. The Saudi’s have done a lot so far, but they still have a very long way to go in making it physically impossible for such crowding to take place.
Martian Bigfoot nailed it in one further up thread:
You are being very disrespectful.
But to answer your obvious ignorance, no, Mr. Steves could not do it, he’s not Muslim, but Lutheran.
Back when the National Geographic had an article on Mecca they sent a Muslim, Thomas Abercrombie.
That’s a rather loaded question isn’t it?
To me, as a non-believer - the Hajj amounts to nothing more than a sightseeing trip.
What’s more, a sightseeing trip encouraged by foolish and wasteful ideas of what’s right.
That’s to me.
To the Muslims I know - the Hajj is an important life event, something that needs to be done at all costs and something that they make significant sacrifices for. Something that they also make sacrifices for others to achieve.
No. It’s a direct question to ascertain if the individual queried is aware of what that individual is describing.
To you, as a non-Muslim, if you were to participate (and if such participation were permitted for a non-Muslim), it would be essentially a sight-seeing trip. For the Muslims participating, it’s obviously not such a thing. Note that your lack of belief in their religion does not relegate the event to the category of tourism.
There really are practical aspects to the Hajj. One is the idea that a person so dedicated to the ideals of a religion that he would make the Hajj would also evidence his dedication in his day-to-day life.
Ah, so you are aware that it’s not tourism.
Why you being like dat Willis?
A bit unnecessarily antagonistic?
Yeah, I know people that have been on their Hajj, I see the reporting here on Hajj quotas and similar.
The point to be made - “tourism” or not is in the eyes of the beholder ain’t it?
There is no “scientific” basis for the need for the Hajj - so strictly speaking it is all “tourism”. On the other hand, the personal importance of the pilgrimage cannot be ignored.
In my mind - the “solution” would be to have the “only at a specific time” limitation removed - with “year round” visits satisfying the strictures of the relevant pillars of Islam (yes, completing the Hajj is one of the pillars of the religion if I recall correctly).
As much as I don’t believe in any form of God, I still do believe that religions should be living things that adapt and update with the times.
Simple enough? Or am I some sort of unholy bigot?
And for the record - no, I would never actually equate completing the Hajj to “mere tourism”
My name is not Willis. And your affectation of that asinine line is not really impressive.
Not at all.
Nope.
Last I heard, anthropology–to include cultural anthropology–is a science.
So, you’re aware that it’s not tourism, but you’re still posting that BS that it is.
The voyage itself does not constitute the entirety of the Hajj. It, like any number of other date-specific commemorations, is geared to recognize something that happened (or is purported to have happened) in that time of year.
Many religions are adapting to the times, even some branches of Islam.
No, you’re just being flippant and, apparently, not really paying attention to your own posts.
Ah, but you did. Unless some poltergeist hijacked your account and made that post about sightseeing.
Update with relevant info:
The Associated Press has done some digging and come up with a horrifying new number: At least 1453 people died in that stampede, which already is almost twice as many as the Saudis claim. That makes it the worst stampede in Mecca’s history, surpassing even the disaster of 1990. 
The facilities at Mecca for handling huge crowds are already epic in scope. For example, one stage of the Hajj requires throwing stones at three pillars that represent the devil. In olden days there were three stone pillars standing out in the open and you’d walk up to them and throw pebbles. Now the “pillars” are 100’ high stone walls surrounded by a 5-story parking garage-like structure. And even with extreme accommodations like this, people are still being crushed in stampedes. It’s hard to imagine what else can be done in terms of engineering to solve the problem.
Reserved rather than open access would help.