A study of Muslim pilgrims by Harvard Kennedy School in the U.S. found that Hajj promotes tolerance and reduces negative views about the West, according to an article on the Ministry of Hajj news.
Entitled “Estimating the Impact of the Hajj: Religion and Tolerance in Islam’s Global Gathering”, the study said that the annual pilgrimage, which brings more than 2 million Muslims to the holy city of Makkah every year, develops a tolerant attitude among pilgrims toward other religions and cultures.
The findings were based on data gathered from a 2006 survey of more than 1,600 Pakistani pilgrims.
“Evidence suggests that the Hajj increases tolerance, which seems to apply not just within the Islamic world but also beyond it,” said the researchers’ report, stressing that Hajj boost unity and do not lead to antipathy toward non-Muslims.
The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, which every adult Muslim must undertake at least once in their life if they can afford it and are physically able.
The study also found that the Hajj plays a key role in the survival of Islam as a unified world religion.
“Over time, religions with far-flung adherents tend to evolve separate strands which may eventually break away into different religions. Our analysis suggests that the Hajj reduces dissent and splits in Islam by moving Hajjis toward a common set of practices, making them more tolerant of differences among Muslims,” said the report.
Interestingly, the study showed that Hajj reduces superstitious beliefs and encourages Muslims to adopt a more favourable attitude towards women, including greater acceptance of women’s education and employment.
The Harvard study strongly contradicts the negative view that Hajj could spread radicalism or promote intolerance among Muslims. It boosts the view that Hajj is a spiritual journey that purifies pilgrims’ souls and makes them more religiously observant.
“People become more orthodox yet more tolerant,” said Asim Ijaz Khwaja of Harvard University, one of the study’s authors.
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