I am writing this memo to help the authorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to identify the basics of safe Hajj pilgrimage organization. Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages have never been canceled or faced some critical limitations since the KSA foundation (Hoang et al., 2020). These events play an important role in the spiritual and religious growth of all Muslims across the globe. However, a fast-spreading pandemic does not recognize nations, existing boundaries, religions, and personal characteristics. This COVID-19 threat has made the governments introduce new restrictions and obligations, including Umrah suspension and Hajj postponement.
During the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) offered recommendations to ensure safe engagement in a mass gathering in the KSA. The main advice focused on improving the decision-making process to hold, modify, postpone, or cancel gatherings of any size (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). At the same time, several measures are recommended for everyone: wash hands, use masks, cover mouth and nose, minimize indoor meetings, and practice physical distancing (WHO, 2021). The WHO continues working with all host countries where inevitable events must be organized to check how the governments and other entities are ready to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic (Alshammari et al., 2021). If a mass gathering in the KSA can be postponed, this opportunity should be used to protect human health and life.
The analysis of the ethical implications of the idea of changing the dates of the Hajj pilgrimage has revealed rather positive outcomes. Most Muslim religious leaders and the representatives of ethics communities supported the WHO’s advice and underlined the necessity to preserve human life during the pandemic (Zumla et al., 2020). The Hajj had to be performed under strict supervision, following health guidance. There is a prophetic saying, “if you hear of an outbreak of a plague in a land, do not enter it; but if that pandemic breaks out in a place where people are residing, do not leave that place” (Zumla et al., 2020). Therefore, it is more important to create the conditions under which human life can be preserved, putting aside the idea of the pilgrimage in general.
Another important aspect of organizing the Hajj pilgrimage touches upon the role of law and the implementation of the WHO’s recommendation in practice. In 2020, the KSA government underlined several critical measures during Hajj rituals. They included the creation of safe “bubbles” of pilgrims with a limited number of individuals and cooperation with health officers who provided the maximum level of care and preventive steps (Jokhdar et al., 2021). The Saudi government also restricted traveling to and from China and extended the list of restrictions to such countries as Turkey, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy (Alshammari et al., 2021). In addition to the complete ban on international guests, the KSA leaders restricted participation in the Hajj pilgrimage for local citizens older than 65 years and for those with chronic diseases (Hoang et al., 2020). All these practices and laws positively affect national health and help prevent the pandemic outbreak.
The WHO’s advice about the safe organization of mass gatherings like the Hajj pilgrimage was properly recognized and followed by many local healthcare organizations and other entities. For example, the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) announced changes in the Hajj 2020 format due to the unpredictability of the COVID-19 situation (Hoang et al., 2020). Most international pilgrims also supported barring pilgrims from visiting the gathering. Cooperation with Hajj communities is critical to preventing the virus from spreading, but the role of healthcare organizations is even more important. More than 30,000 employees were deployed by the Saudi MOH to offer healthcare services and check all candidates for the Hajj pilgrimage. The same healthcare organization can be used to check individuals eligible for participation: 20-65 years old, not obese, not pregnant, without high-risk chronic diseases, and a negative polymerase chain reaction COVID-19 (Jokhdar et al., 2021). In general, the WHO’s recommendation must be followed to proceed with the Hajj pilgrimage safely.
The outcomes of the offered requirements should be promising because local communities, the KSA government, and the WHO are on the same path. People understand that human life is priceless, and even the strongest and oldest religious beliefs should not affect the decision to protect life. The requirements of physical distancing, hand hygiene, and mask-wearing should be addressed. Besides, if vulnerable individuals like those older than 65 years or with chronic diseases avoid mass gatherings, they contribute to a healthier environment. Finally, postponing the Hajj pilgrimage remains the best decision during the pandemic because human faith cannot be broken if the restriction is necessary to preserve life.
In general, this memo proves that the country can safely proceed with the Hajj pilgrimage if certain recommendations and requirements are followed. The example demonstrated by the KSA community in 2020 shows that the COVID-19 pandemic is hard to neglect, but preventive measures and protection have become people’s direct responsibility. No one except a person is responsible for their life, and no economic, social, or religious losses should establish new regulations. Human health is the only determinant of a successful life, and true believers may not need an official gathering to prove their faith and beliefs. Thanks for your cooperation and attention! I hope this report and the international advice it offers will help support a safe Hajj pilgrimage during the pandemic.
References
Alshammari, S., Almutiry, W., Gwalani, H., Algarni, S., & Saeedi, K. (2021). Measuring the impact of suspending Umrah, a global mass gathering in Saudi Arabia on the COVID-19 pandemic. Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, 1-26. Web.
Hoang, V., Gautret, P., Memish, Z., & Al-Tawfiq, J. (2020). Hajj and Umrah mass gatherings and COVID-19 infection. Current Tropical Medicine Reports, 7(4), 133-140. Web.
Jokhdar, H., Khan, A., Asiri, S., Motair, W., Assiri, A., & Alabdulaali, M. (2021). COVID-19 mitigation plans during Hajj 2020: A success story of zero cases. Health Security, 19(2), 133-139. Web.
World Health Organization. (2021). Holding gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic: WHO policy brief. WHO. Web.
Zumla, A., Azhar, E. I., Alqahtani, S., Shafi, S., & Memish, Z. A. (2020). COVID-19 and the scaled-down 2020 Hajj pilgrimage – Decisive, logical and prudent decision making by Saudi authorities overcomes pre-Hajj public health concerns. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 99, 34-36. Web.