Syria & pilgrimage as barometer

Given the international conversation about Syria right now, and the possibility of military strikes in the wake of allegations of chemical weapons use by the government, I wanted to write about Syria.  The ongoing conflict in the country has caused social rupture, including displacement and refugee camps.  According to the United Nations, one million children have now fled the violence, fleeing to surrounding countries such as Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt.

How does pilgrimage fit into all this?  In many cases, pilgrimage serves as a barometer of political openness or conflict: it measures the pressure that comes to bear on movements of people, on the religious pluralism present in societies, and on the stability of infrastructure.  If people can’t travel or access pilgrimage sites, or are in jeopardy if they try, that reveals (and reinforces) existing political tensions.In the case of Syria, this year’s Hajj has shown the deterioration of bilateral relations between Syria and other countries in the region.  Earlier this summer, I blogged about Saudi Arabia cutting ties with Bashir al-Assad’s government — and so, Hajj applications from Syria were processed by the Syrian opposition National Coalition, and not by Damascus.  I’ve also mentioned the kidnapping of pilgrims to the Shia shrines in Syria — some of whom were released this summer.  (This situation has had a few plot twists, as well as involvement from neighbors such as Turkey.)

At this point, 10,000 pilgrims are still expected to travel from Syria to Saudi Arabia for Hajj, and the first wave of travelers is already beginning.  The Saudi government has reduced the number of visas issued to pilgrims this year due to development projects at the Grand Mosque (and coinciding, it seems coincidentally, with the outbreak of the MERS coronavirus as a global health concern — the latest culprit being an Egyptian tomb bat).  However, Riyadh has also spoken out against using Hajj “for political purposes,” interestingly enough.  It seems to me that such a mass pilgrimage has an inherent political dimension.  How could it not, given the vast number of people, resources, and governments involved?  That said, Saudi Arabia has pledged not to impose pilgrimage restrictions on those coming to Mecca from Arab Spring countries, including Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen.  Syria is clearly not in this group, but its entire Hajj process has bypassed the government in Damascus.  There will undoubtedly be further implications for the country and the region in the next few days.