Thanks so much for providing a window into this tradition. It seems to have a good balance of communal and individual activities. I think this question is relevant to the experience but if too OT, mods can delete... How does the Saudi government and the tour groups handle different sects within Islam? Clearly there are lots of rules everyone must follow, but every now and then you hear stories about certain groups wanting to practice a conservative / strict Sharia interpretation at Hajj. I guess I'm wondering if any sects are not welcome and about the extent of segregation within the compounds. In any case, it seems like people gravitate towards whatever sect they prefer while avoiding the others?
Also I make the following comment very respectfully, hoping you understand that it's an observation perhaps discolored by my own cultural context... The account of hundreds dying from errant stones only a few years ago sounds barbaric, as well as your own experience of enduring serious health risks to fulfill a religious duty. I realize that it's billed as a "rite of passage" whereby "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger," but it appears to an outsider like an environment where adhering to the letter of the law trumps common sense. I don't understand the logic that God is honored by people following rules at the expense of protecting the human lives he created. With that said, it does sound like some improvements to the experience are taking place. Thank you again for the report!