Indonesia Criticizes Saudi Arabia's Response to Deadly Mina Incident

The Indonesian government criticized Saudi Arabia's response on Tuesday to an incident during the Hajj that resulted in the deaths of hundreds. Indonesia stated that its diplomats were only able to access information about the victims and the injured several days after the event. According to the Associated Press, Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, along with India and Pakistan, claims that Saudi officials only provided photographs of the victims and injured to foreign diplomats. The latest statistics from the Saudi Ministry of Health, published on Sunday, reported that 769 people were killed and 934 injured in the incident. The Indonesian government criticized the delay in access for its diplomats to the bodies of the victims and the injured, stating that necessary information was not provided until Monday evening. The Associated Press quoted an Indonesian Foreign Ministry official stating that their diplomats finally managed to examine evidence such as the fingerprints of the victims. Given that many victims lost their identification cards during the incident, fingerprint documents are crucial for identifying them. According to Indonesian Foreign Ministry officials, it has been confirmed that 46 pilgrims from Indonesia were killed, 10 were injured, and 90 others are missing. Hakim Saifuddin, Indonesia's Minister of Religious Affairs, stated in a statement released on Monday that diplomats from Indonesia do not have the right to visit hospitals to find the injured. Part of this statement reads: 'The Saudi government has its own regulations, traditions, and culture in dealing with these matters, which has hindered our efforts to identify the victims.' Saudi officials stated that during the deadly incident on Thursday in Mina, two large waves of pilgrims converged in a very narrow path, causing many to fall under the crowd. This is the deadliest incident to occur during the Hajj in the past 25 years. Following this incident, Iran has repeatedly criticized Saudi Arabia for its inability to manage the Hajj. Iranian domestic media, citing the Secretary-General of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, reported that the latest number of Iranian casualties has reached 228. Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, on October 4, during a meeting with Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, requested that he remind the Saudi government of its 'legal and humanitarian duties' regarding the 'Mina incident.' Upon arriving at Tehran airport, Rouhani also called for a thorough investigation into how the incident occurred. The Saudi government has begun its investigations, and Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, has also pledged that if any mistakes were made, those responsible will be punished. At the same time, the Supreme Court of Pakistan announced that it has received a request from a citizen of that country seeking a judicial review of the Mecca incident. So far, no decision has been announced to form a case. The Pakistani Ministry of Religious Affairs reported that at least 44 pilgrims from that country were also killed, and 35 others were injured. According to Egyptian officials, 74 pilgrims from that country were killed, and 98 others are missing. Every year, nearly two million pilgrims from 180 countries participate in the Hajj. In some recent years, the number of pilgrims has reached three million without any major incidents occurring. This year marks the first Hajj ceremony since the beginning of King Salman’s reign in Saudi Arabia. Before the start of this year's annual Hajj, a crane collapse at the Grand Mosque on September 11 resulted in dozens of deaths.