We’ve discussed this in other SDMB threads. We got numbers like 1 in 20 or up to 1 in 5 of the Moslems in the world could possibly do it. There’s some things that affect the count. A fair number of people don’t live long enough. A fair number of people never have enough money to afford the trip. There are rich Moslems who do the trip more than once.
Tru that
I don’t know how “active” I am in any aspect of life, but I’d count myself.
Last year one brother-in-law wanted he and his wife to go on Hajj; they are American citizens. He was reporting all-in costs (government fees, travel, etc) of close to $15,000 per person.
Beyond the financial costs, one has to consider their age and fitness, particularly when Hajj falls in the Summer.
I am not a Muslim, but i spoke with a local Muslim about her pilgrimage. She says that she went with an official tour operator, and that people from wealthy countries like the US have better accommodations, etc., than people from poorer countries. And she said she was grateful for that, as it shielded her from a lot of the physical danger that sometime occurred due to crowding.
But at the final stage, where they walk around the rock, all the people were mixed. She said she found herself next to a woman in a full burkah, and she knew there was a point in the prayers where you are supposed to show your face, and she peeked, to see the woman.
I think at that point you just follow the crowd and recite prayers that every Muslim knows.
And it was obvious, talking to her, that she found the experience very moving.
I had the impression the whole trip was a couple of weeks, though, not a couple of months. And she’s a lawyer, i doubt she can be away that long.
Coming back to the OP, it is indeed true that the Hajj (and also its lesser cousin, the Umrah - essentially the same thing, only that you can do it at any time of the year as opposed to the set dates for the Hajj) is now a major logistical exercise. The Saudi government, aware of the standing that custody of the holy mosques give sit in the Muslim world, facilitates this. As an example: Part of the Hajj is, by tradition, the mas’a - walking the distance between two hills in Mecca back and forth seven times. The hills were originally in the desert outside Mecca, but are now connected by an enclosed air-conditioned walkway that makes the journey much more pleasant:
Yes, it’s a prestige thing for the Saudis to be the custodians of the mosques but it’s also a big source of tourism revenue, which as the oil revenues inevitably decline are more and more a big part of their economy.
I was complaining in a Zoom meeting the other day that I’m waiting to see Anne Hathaway playing Anne Hathaway. It’s too bad Richard Burton never played Richard Burton. I await Albert Brooks playing Albert Einstein (which is his real name).
Am I the only one whose first exposure to the explorer Richard Burton was in the Ringworld novel?
Mine was “The Arabian Nights Abridged for Children.” Then I discovered the original. They’re in a box somewhere, but I own the Burton Society Edition. All 26 volumes.
I was too.
And a movie about Christopher Columbus can be directed by Chris Columbus.
I always wanted to see Matthew Perry play Matthew Perry.
Same for me. I liked the Sam Clemens character
When I first encountered an account of the explorer Richard Burton, I thought it was talking about the actor, and was very confused as to his age.
To my understanding there is something of an official pass that may or may not be part of an organized tour package. It allows access to air conditioned busses and air conditioned tents. The Saudis have a sophisticated system to cool people off that includes water misters in areas where people congregate. I don’t know if the pass system is designed to limit how may people officially come to Mecca to avoid overcrowding but people are buying tour packages that don’t include this documentation.
Pilgrims without the official documentation do not have access to all of the air conditioned assets and this has contributed to the 1300 deaths this year. People ended up walking under the hot Sun instead of taking busses.
In an event that involves millions of people who are at some point outside in extreme heat it’s incumbent that the Saudis stay on top of emergency situations.
[Moderating]
While this might make for an interesting Cafe Society thread, it has nothing at all to do with the Hajj. Let’s drop the hijack.
When I was in Iraq my job required me to work with various entities within the Iraqi government. One of the ministries I had to deal with was the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. The government had what amounted to a cabinet level agency that only dealt with issues regarding the pilgrimage. I’m sure other countries have similar high level positions to deal with the issues and coordinate with the Saudi government.
and you know that how?
As I remember AK84 is a now-banned poster from Pakistan and Ramira was from North Africa, but they have not posted in years. I can’t remember any other Muslim members, though I think there were a few others.
I have no doubt. That doesn’t stop someone booking a flight to Saudi Arabia through a tour package to save money.
AP Link June 23, 2024
More than 1,300 people died during Hajj, many of them after walking in the scorching heat
- Saudi Health Minister Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel said that 83% of the 1,301 fatalities were unauthorized pilgrims who walked long distances in soaring temperatures to perform the Hajj rituals in and around the holy city of Mecca.