No Wailing in Cemeteries!

In recent times, whenever we write criticism of any government entity, whether in articles or on social media, we find that there is no follow-up from the concerned authorities. As is well known, every government entity has a public relations department that monitors all coverage about it, particularly in the press, and forwards it to officials in a bulletin. Incidentally, these days we do not know whether these departments are still active or if the matter has been dismissed as mere “newspaper talk.”

Today, I am writing about the suffering and wasted time experienced at cemeteries, especially at the Salhiyah Cemetery, while waiting to fulfill the duty of offering condolences. Visiting a cemetery to console the bereaved is a religious obligation. However, as days pass, the number of visitors increases, and the municipality organizes condolence sessions at the cemetery, we see fundamental reasons why this practice should be halted. The first reason is that it makes no sense for a government agency to organize condolence sessions for citizens. The second reason is that, these days, up to 15 bodies arrive daily, may Allah have mercy on them. To attend, one is expected to go after the Asr prayer, around 3:00 PM, and wait in line for an hour or more, even though condolence visits involve only verbal expressions of sympathy, not handshakes. After the condolence session, everyone exits to their cars simultaneously. The congestion is so severe that cars may be parked half a kilometer or a kilometer away. Despite this, the lack of organization leads to major traffic jams, bringing vehicle movement to a standstill. Hundreds, even thousands, of cars are stuck, with occupants sitting in their vehicles waiting for relief.

Last week, for example, I arrived at 3:00 PM after the Asr prayer. We stood in line, and the time passed beyond 3:00 PM amid shoulder-to-shoulder congestion. When we finally exited, we encountered severe traffic congestion. We did not leave the cemetery until 4:30 PM, and we did not reach home until nearly 5:00 PM.

While stuck in traffic behind the wheel, I asked myself why no one was honking. Then I remembered that we were at a cemetery, and out of respect for the deceased and their families, honking is not permitted in cemeteries. What I propose is that condolence sessions at cemeteries be discontinued, limiting activities to funeral prayers and burial. Thereafter, condolences should be received either in abandoned diwaniyas (traditional gathering halls), halls, private homes, or via social media. Following condolences outside cemeteries would take no more than five minutes.

A few years ago, I attended a condolence session for a relative in Riyadh. The event consisted only of the funeral prayer at the mosque, followed by burial. Afterward, we went to the family’s diwaniya to receive condolences.

To substantiate my claims about the human suffering involved, I urge a department within the Ministry of the Interior to deploy a drone for a week to film the congestion that occurs after condolence sessions end. All cars exit simultaneously, flooding the Fourth and Fifth Ring Roads, both of which are already congested. This aerial footage would clearly illustrate the scale of the problem, especially as the number of people continues to grow day by day.

This is my proposal, which I am publishing for the third time. Moreover, I have long submitted it to the municipality via the “Sahl” platform, but without any response.