As the body count from the horrific Hajj stampede reached 719, the backlash started. Within hours, Saudi Arabia's regional rival Iran had laid the blame for the deaths squarely on the heads of the House of Saud.
Saudi officials, by contrast, claimed "some pilgrims who didn't follow the guidelines issued" may have been responsible for the sudden crush on the half-mile-long, five-storey Jamarat Bridge near Mecca. They also pointed to the extreme heat and fatigue of some pilgrims as potential causes.
As the authorities sought to deflect criticism for the worst tragedy to befall the annual pilgrimage in 25 years, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, the head of the central Hajj committee, provoked fury when he reportedly decided to blame "some pilgrims with African nationalities" for causing the stampede.
Haj stampede: 14 Indians among 700 killed
Tarek Fatah, an author, journalist and fellow of the Middle East Forum think-tank in Philadelphia, described the remark as a "display of Arab anti-black racism" in a message on Twitter that summed up the response of many on social media.
Saudi officials, by contrast, claimed "some pilgrims who didn't follow the guidelines issued" may have been responsible for the sudden crush on the half-mile-long, five-storey Jamarat Bridge near Mecca. They also pointed to the extreme heat and fatigue of some pilgrims as potential causes.
As the authorities sought to deflect criticism for the worst tragedy to befall the annual pilgrimage in 25 years, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, the head of the central Hajj committee, provoked fury when he reportedly decided to blame "some pilgrims with African nationalities" for causing the stampede.
Haj stampede: 14 Indians among 700 killed
Tarek Fatah, an author, journalist and fellow of the Middle East Forum think-tank in Philadelphia, described the remark as a "display of Arab anti-black racism" in a message on Twitter that summed up the response of many on social media.
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