Religious festivals take place in all countries in the world. Religious festivals — festivals that are held by religious communities based on a religious belief or a set of religious beliefs — are definitely held in revealed and unrevealed religions including, but not limited to, Islam, Christianity and Hinduism. Many religious festivals including Christmas, Easter, Eid-al-Fitr, Eit-al-Adha, Passover, Hanukkah and Diwali take place in the world and many believers in their religious faiths participate in respective religious festivals in many countries. But religious festivals are social and cultural events, along with religious ones, that often involve rituals, prayers and ceremonies, which are believed to bring blessings, purification and spiritual growth, are celebrated each year.
It is pertinently notable that religious festivals — which serve as a time for reflection and introspection of religious faith — have religious, social, economic and other sorts of significance. In terms of religion, religious festivals definitely provide an opportunity for people to express their religious devotion and faith and strengthen their bond with the divine. In terms of social significance, religious festivals, which serve as a time for people of diverse backgrounds to come together, promote social cohesion, foster relationships that extend beyond religious boundaries and promote a sense of unity, belongingness and interfaith harmony. Among other terms, religious festivals often act as catalysts for economic growth through attracting tourists and boosting economy and have enormous cultural impacts including the promotion of cultural traditions.
But there conflict based and other untoward incidents in religious festivals. Armed attacks are carried out in religious festivals in many countries leading to many deaths. There are many instances of armed attacks targeting religious festivals including the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka and the 2004 Ashura bombings in Iraq. Stampede is another crucial untoward incident in religious festivals. According to multiple sources, thousands of pilgrims died at the Hajj in Mecca in 2015, more than two dozen died in India in 2015 and a stampede killed nearly forty people in Israel in 2021. There are conflicts among participants that often disrupt the peaceful atmosphere. Among others, theft or the loss of valuable religious artifacts in religious festivals is notable.
There are definitely legal and other efforts to prevent untoward incidents in religious festivals. Strict security checks at entry points, the deployment of additional police personnel and the installation of surveillance cameras at key locations are some of the common efforts seen in many festivals in many countries. Also, crowd management strategies including designated entry and exit points and barricades to control the flow of people are often employed in highly crowded festivals. Among others, emergency medical services, which are made available with well-equipped medical tents and trained staff to handle any health-related emergencies, are notable steps. But they are neither effective nor do they bring the desired outcomes always, though they can prevent many untoward incidents.
But there are definitely arrangement based, social, religious and other factors that lead to untoward incidents in religious festivals in many countries. There is a lack of comprehensive crowd management strategies, inadequate security planning, a lack of strict regulation of fire safety measures and inadequate or lax security measures that increase the chance of untoward incidents in many large religious festivals. In addition, religious intolerance and hatred are not significantly addressed in many countries and communities. Consequently, armed attacks are sometimes carried out in religious festivals by state patronization and non-state armed groups in many countries. Among other causes, the assertion of own customs and practices and the enmity between or among local groups or communities are notable in many countries.
Untoward incidents in religious festivals definitely need to be reduced. But emphasis needs to be given to prevent armed attacks, stampedes and clashes between different religious groups. Improved security planning and proper crowd management techniques, including the deployment of trained personnel and effective communication systems, are imperative. Imposing strict regulations to discourage the use of firecrackers or any other hazardous materials — which may cause harm to individuals or property — may also reduce untoward incidents many times. Campaigns with an emphasis on responsible behaviors during religious festivals and the importance of respect may be helpful. But religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence are also crucial to reduce armed attacks and clashes in religious festivals.
