Saudi Arabia faces a difficult choice between the possibility of reducing or canceling the pilgrimage for the first time in modern history, in a decision that involves political risks as the kingdom faces the outbreak of the new Corona virus.
Many Muslim countries are pressing Riyadh to issue a decision on moving forward with the Hajj season scheduled for late July.
It is unlikely that the Hajj season will be organized with its full capacity, especially after the Kingdom invited Muslims in late March to be patient in concluding contracts related to Hajj and Umrah due to the outbreak of the virus.
A South Asian official, in contact with the Saudi Hajj authorities, confirmed to Agence France-Presse that "the matter is pending between two options, either to perform a Hajj in name only, or to cancel it completely," while a Saudi official explained to the French that "the decision will be taken and announced soon."
According to the South Asian official, the kingdom is currently "gaining time" with its cautious approach, adding that if Saudi Arabia says at the last minute that it is "fully prepared for the Hajj," many countries (logistics) will not be in a position to participate.
With the current suspension of international flights, the scenario of shrinking pilgrimages to the local population may appear more likely, the official said.
Positions of countries
And Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in terms of population, announced earlier this month that it would not participate in the Hajj season because of the risks associated with the Coronavirus, in a resolution it described as "difficult and bitter." Malaysia and Singapore have also decided to cancel the participation of their citizens.
And many countries - from Egypt and Morocco to Turkey, Lebanon and even Bulgaria - have announced that they are awaiting the decision of the Saudi authorities.
Muslim officials in other countries, such as France, also urged people to postpone the Hajj until next year because of the risks involved.
The pilgrimage is one of the largest human gatherings annually in the world. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, and the believer has been able to do it at least once in a lifetime.
The performance of this duty may be a possible major focus for the spread of infection, as millions of pilgrims from all over the world pour in crowded religious sites in the holy city of Makkah to perform the rites.
Trusteeship
The way the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia manages the crisis also highlights the role of its rulers as guardians of the holy places, which has given them political influence for decades.
A series of deadly disasters occurred over the years, which drew criticism about the kingdom's conduct of the pilgrimage. In September 2015, about 2,300 worshipers were killed in a stampede in the worst disaster ever during the Hajj season.
Omar Karim, a visiting researcher at the Royal Institute for United Services, believes that Saudi Arabia "in the dilemma of the delay in announcing its decision, shows that it understands the political consequences of canceling the Hajj or reducing its size."
The decision to cancel the pilgrimage will be the first of its kind since the establishment of the kingdom in 1932. Saudi Arabia previously managed to organize the pilgrimage during the Ebola outbreak and other diseases.
The kingdom has been trying to contain an outbreak of the new Corona virus, with a significant increase in daily cases and deaths since the easing of the travel ban in the country late last month.
Sources say that Saudi hospitals are witnessing the rapid completion of the intensive care family with the increasing number of health workers infected, and Saudi Arabia has recorded more than 120,000 cases so far, while the number of deaths exceeded a thousand deaths.
And this month, the Saudi authorities have tightened health precautions in the city of Jeddah, the gateway for travelers to perform Umrah and Hajj.
"Hajj is the most important spiritual journey in the life of any Muslim, but if Saudi Arabia goes ahead with this scenario it will not only put pressure on its health system," said Yasmin Farouk, a Middle East expert from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. To be held widely responsible for the outbreak. "