Meanwhile AFP carried  a news report on January 16,2006 referring to the above incident, Meca: Was it God's will or Human error that killed 439 during this year's annual pilgrimage to Mecca? That is the question which many pilgrims were pondering as they bid the holy city farewell this week end. Haj began in January 8, three days after the collapse of an aging hostel in the heart of Mecca killing 76 people and ended the Thursday with 363 pilgrims dead in a stampede at the entrance of the Jamarat Bridge in Mina east of Mecca on the last day of the ritual stoning of Satan.

Although Saudi Arabia is no stranger to Haj stampedes with 251 killed  in 2004 and 1,416 in 1990, there are already signs that the latest one may stir a debate among the kingdom's leadership and the powerful religious establishment about modifying  pilgrimage rites to prevent tragedies.

On a street close to Abdul Aziz gate, one of the main entrances to Mecca's grand Mosque, African children with missing limbs begged as pilgrims streamed by on their way to the sunset prayers on Saturday.

"God decided that they must die, there is nothing we can do about it" said M Mohammed  Musead,  53, an Algerian who was caught up on Thursday's stampede and pulled out  four bodies with his own hands before fleeing for his life.

Nigeiran Elias Eliasu, 32, called the stampede an "ibtila' or test of Muslims faith by God.  However  39 year old pilgrim Aisha Dumo, from Morocco cited the "ignorance" of many pilgrims, especially those from poor countries, as to how they should handle them during the Hajj. No doubt there were mistakes, said Dumo who was far from the stampede but described her own experience in stoning the three pillars on the bridge that are supposed to symbolize evil.

"I kept tripping on garbage and I saw people throwing rocks instead of pebbles on the pillars as they screamed like mad."

Stoning rite is based on the story of Abrahm. He is believed to have thrown pebbles at the devil  who was taunting him as he led his son Ismail to the mountains near Mina to slaughter him as God commanded in a test of the prophet's faith.

Saudi authorities have blamed stampede on a rush of 600,000 pilgrims massed at the entrance of the bridge and on the unruly conduct of many among them, especially those carrying luggage.

"It is the fault of the Saudi government as they have no standards at all," charged Gull Mohammed, 53, a Briton of Pakistani originl iving in Nothern England. "I blame them and nobody else."

The following chronology of events also shows very clearly  that Stoning ritual is not in keeping with Islam

1979 - About 250 armed Sunni Muslims took over the Grand Mosque in Mecca. More than 100 of them and 127 Saudi troops were killed in a two-week siege, which took place outside the main pilgrimage season.

1994 - Stampede near Jamarat Bridge in Mena killed 270 as pilgrims gathered for the devil-stoning ritual.

1997 - A fire at a camp in Mena killed 343 pilgrims.

It is better that that Muslims skip the practice of stoning and  has nothing to do with Koranic injunctions.You may pl. read my piece on (Click) "Jihadism is a doctored anti-Islamic version"

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