Sunday, December 07, 2008

AP, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, December 6, 2008 (excerpts) _ Draped in white robes to symbolize purity and equality of mankind under God, nearly 3 million Muslims from all over the world gathered Friday in Mecca, on the eve of the start of the annual hajj pilgrimage.
A pillar of the Muslim faith, the hajj is packed with symbolism and ritual. Every able-bodied Muslim who can financially afford to must perform it at least once in his or her lifetime.
Saudi Arabia has deployed some 100,000 security personnel to keep order during the five-day pilgrimage that starts Saturday.
Roadblocks have sprung up on all roads leading to Mecca, and police check for hajj permits from Saudi nationals and for passports from pilgrims who arrived from abroad.
Security is high also because the hajj comes just over a week after terror attacks in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, in which suspected Islamic militants killed 171 and injured more than 300 others in assaults on upscale hotels, a restaurant and other sites across the city.
Ambulances and medical centers have been readied to deal with emergencies. Stampedes or fires at past pilgrimages have killed hundreds and sent thousands to clinics and hospitals.
At the Grand Mosque, when loudspeakers blared the midday call to prayer, the procession around the Kaaba ground to a halt. Pilgrims paused to listen to verses from the Koran, Islam’s holy book, and join in prayers.
The hajj culminates Sunday, when the pilgrims gather on Mount Arafat, 12 miles (20 kilometers) from Mecca in the desert, where Islam’s Prophet Mohammed is said to have given his last sermon 14 centuries ago.
According to Islamic teachings, the hajj is a spiritual journey that cleanses the soul and wins absolution.
Just 50 years ago, the pilgrimage attracted only about 10,000 people. This year, Saudi embassies world over have issued nearly 2 million visas. Just under a million pilgrims also come to the hajj from Saudi Arabia. Many others are believed to come without proper documents.