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TWO MILLION WHITE-clad Muslims from across the globe began the hajj pilgrimage in western Saudi Arabia today, in one of the world’s largest annual gatherings.
A sandstorm blew and light rain fell around the vast plain known as Mount Arafat, where the faithful began to arrive ahead of the climax of hajj tomorrow.
Many reached Arafat by bus but some walked from the holy city of Mecca about 15 kilometres (nine miles) away, after circumambulating the holy Kaaba, a black cube-shaped structure toward which Muslims pray worldwide.
Police manned checkpoints along the way to verify the permits of pilgrims.
Most of the throng will pass the evening in the tent city of Mina before moving in the early hours of tomorrow to the rocky hill where they believe the Prophet Mohammed gave his final sermon 14 centuries ago after leading his followers on the hajj.
Safety improvements
For many, the hajj will be the highlight of their spiritual lives.
This year’s gathering is about the same size as last year’s, with 1.4 million foreign pilgrims joining hundreds of thousands of Saudis and residents of the kingdom.
Joyous pilgrims like 35-year-old Egyptian Walaa Ali had been gathering for days ahead of the hajj.
“It is a gift from God that He has chosen us to come here,” Ali said with tears in her eyes, as preachers nearby explained the history and rituals of the hajj to men and women sitting side by side.
“I am so happy to be here,” she said in Mecca.
The hajj is among the five pillars of Islam and every capable Muslim must perform the pilgrimage at least once in his or her life.
On alert
This year’s gathering takes place against a backdrop of increased jihadist violence in some Muslim countries, a surge of the potentially deadly MERS virus, and the war in Saudi Arabia’s neighbour Yemen.
About 100,000 police have been deployed to secure pilgrimage sites and manage the crowds.
Authorities say they are on alert for possible attacks by extremists.
The jihadist Islamic State group has carried out bombings targeting security forces and Shiite mosques in the kingdom in recent months.
Security forces have taken “measures to prevent terrorist groups from exploiting hajj season to carry out acts of sabotage,” interior ministry spokesman General Mansur al-Turki said.
The first day of the hajj is known as Tarwiah Day, when pilgrims traditionally watered their animals and stocked water for their trip to Mount Arafat.
On the way, modern-day pilgrims stay in specially-built fireproof tents during their stop in Mina, a city which only comes alive during hajj season.
At Mount Arafat they will pray and recite from the Koran.
Pilgrims start the hajj by entering ihram, a state of purity in which they must not quarrel, wear perfume, cut their nails, or trim their hair or beards.
During ihram, men wear a seamless two-piece shroud-like white garment, while women must wear loose dresses, generally also white, exposing only their faces and hands.
The clothing emphasises their unity, regardless of whether they spend the hajj season in Mecca’s five-star hotels or shabby highrise hostels.
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The ‘who killed your granny’ budget
@John F doe: The “fix Britain after 14 years of the Tories” budget
@Anthony Curran: by killing off the elderly? I know you shinners have a low value on life but this is disgraceful
@John F doe:
A quick Google search will show you just what the tories thought of the elderly…Savage cuts to resources for vulnerable people..
I wonder will Ireland be loaning money to the U.K.? As the loaned money to us when we were in a very dire state but we still are unfortunately.
@Tommy: we should absolutely help our wonderful nearest and dearest if needs be, they did it for us
@John F doe: dearest?
@Tommy: Economics clearly isn’t your strong suit.
@John F doe: In fairness they provided jobs for the Irish for decades, and still do, not that we need them as much these days.
@Tommy: let’s go Tommy Robinson
Mad how the Torys can do whatever they like, recklessly destroy the economy BUT Labour oOOoooo ‘pure evil’… politics is truly pathetic
@Thesaltyurchin: the conservatives never launched an attack on the elderly
@John F doe: You’re absolutely dense.
@John F doe: Are you thick?. What age group do you think uses an underfunded NHS more than any other ?
@Ian: I agree
@John F doe: neither have Labour so what on earth are you talking about?
so she can take the blame when it will backfire
For all those ppl in ireland u say “the government can’t get any worse” of course it can get worse
The Budgies won’t be impressed with a tax hike.
Labour a bit like our own, pretend to be sympathetic and be the voice for the working class, yet when in power, o difficult decisions will have it be made. A conservative landslide is likely when they eventually put in a motion of no confidence against this travesty. Stammer the worst Labour PM since Ramsay MacDonald
@Alan: the Tories ran the country in to the ground for over a decade. That Labour would actually try and fix that by taxing the people that can afford it isn’t the “travesty” you think it is. The Tories are trying to paint this budget as crippling the working class but that’s, once again, is an utter lie.
Yep, how do you tax all the profits from State assets sold for a pittance to cronies and then offshored and shielded from view forever?
The once Great Britain is now little Britain a byproduct off Brexit.
What is this talk of Labour having promised not to raise taxes? Let’s be clear what they promised was not to raid Texas, and so far they have honoured that!
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