By Tajudeen Alabede

The tragic episode of the stampede at Mina during this year’s Hajj jolted the Muslim Ummah and the entire global community. While one regrets this sad development and prays for the safety of all the hujjaaj, this moment calls for sober reflection.

Without prejudice to the critical role being played by the Saudi authorities, Hajj is a collective obligation of the Ummah. While the Ummah owes the Saudi authorities a huge debt of gratitude, we, however, need a new approach to managing Hajj. Besides, the Saudis need to be relieved of the burden of responsibility for all that could go wrong with Hajj operations.

While the Saudis are the direct custodians of the holy sites in and around Makkah and Madeenah, the management of Hajj should now devolve to the whole Ummah. Time is, therefore, ripe for the establishment of a broad-based Global Commission on Hajj.

The Commission should comprise globally-acclaimed scholars and experts on Islam and other fields relevant to Hajj operations. Such a global body will have supervisory authority over the local agencies that may be set up by the Saudi authorities.

The Ummah can draw lessons from supranational organisations that organise global events which are hosted by member-states. The global governing bodies coordinate with and supervise the host nations in the course of preparation for the global events. In the area of sports, for instance, global governing bodies such as FIFA and IOC exercise wide powers over host nations.

Hajj is an important pillar of Islam. It is a common heritage of ALL MUSLIMS. In managing it, we need all hands on deck.

May Allah accept the dead hujjaaj as martyrs, heal the wounded and strengthen the Ummah. With regard to this tragic event,


WE ARE ALL VICTIMS!