345 killed in a pilgrimage stampede in Mecca.
AT least 345 Muslim pilgrims were crushed to death overnight during a stoning ritual on the last day of the hajj, the worst tragedy to beset the sacred ritual in more than a decade.
Then we get this pile of baloney from Keysar Trad:
Islamic Friendship Association founder Keysar Trad says pilgrims consider it an honour to die during the hajj.
"You always feel sad at the loss of a loved one but in this particular instance there's a major consolation," he said.
"And that's the fact that it's happened during the pilgrimage that people feel that this person's going to go straight into heaven and that God's being kind to them by taking them in such a holy place."
No, you goose. God being kind to someone would involve NOT letting them die painfully after being crushed by the feet of their co-religionists.
The only place they're going "straight to" is the morgue.
Posted by Quentin George at January 13, 2006 05:15 PMNow, don't be silly, Aidan. Don't you know God believe in tough love? Tsk, tsk.