On Monday, Muslims from around the world returned to the scene of last year’s deadly stampede to perform the final major rite of the hajj,that is the stoning ritual near Mecca.
Pilgrims arrived on multiple ramps toward the Jamarat Bridge where the “stoning of the devil” took place under high security and without incident, the interior and hajj ministry spokesmen said.
Riyadh issued a death toll of 769, although figures compiled from foreign officials in more than 30 countries gave a stampede tally of roughly 2,300.
But a number of safety measures have been taken and pilgrims said they were satisfied with this year’s organisation.
Saudi pilgrim Ibrahim Ayed, 40, who took part in the hajj and the stoning ritual for the first time in a decade, agreed.
The stoning — expected to continue on Tuesday — coincided with Eid al-Adha, Islam’s feast of sacrifice which is celebrated by more than 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide.
The Jamarat ritual, in Mina at the eastern edge of Mecca, emulates Abraham’s stoning of the devil in resisting the temptation to disobey God’s order
AFP
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