Dressed in seamless white robes symbolizing the equality of
mankind under God, around 3 million Muslims from across the globe
hiked through the 13-kilometre valley to Mina, beginning a series
of rituals cleansing them of sin.
This year's haj takes place amid increasing worries across the
Islamic world over the bloodshed in Iraq, violence in the
Palestinian territories and a new war in Somalia. Amid the crises,
tensions have increased between the two main Islamic sects, Sunnis
and Shi'ites, who come together in the five days of haj rituals
centered around the holy city of Mecca, birthplace of Islam's
Prophet Muhammad.
"We will not allow sectarian tensions from any party during the
haj season," Saudi Arabia's Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin
Abdulaziz told reporters ahead of the rituals.
"The pilgrimage is not a place for raising political banners...
or slogans that divide Muslims, whom God has ordered to be
unified," Saudi Islamic Affairs Minister Sheik Salih bin Abdulaziz
told pilgrims Thursday. "The haj is a school for teaching unity,
mercy and cooperation."
For pilgrims streaming in from all continents, the haj is a
towering moment of faith, a duty for all able-bodied Muslims to
carry out at least once in their lives. Thursday morning, as has
happened for the past few days, hundreds of thousands opened their
pilgrimage by circling the Kaaba, the black cubic stone in Mecca,
Islam's holiest site, which Muslims face when peforming their daily
prayers.
"For us it is a vacation away from work and daily life to renew
yourself spiritually," said Ahmed Karkoutly, an American doctor
from Brownsville, Texas. "You feel part of a universe fulfilling
God's will. It's a cosmic motion, orbiting the Kaaba."
On Wednesday, massive crowds of pilgrims packed the streets
surrounding the Kaaba, some prostrating in prayer, others diving
into the traditional outdoor markets to buy perfumes, fabrics,
prayer beads and other souvenirs. Throughout gleaming shopping
malls overlooking the Kaaba, pilgrims checked out the goods at
stores like the Body Shop or lined up at a Cinnabon.
"Please do not sit in walkways to allow your brother pilgrims to
move freely," announcements in Arabic and English came over
loudspeakers as families lay out blankets and sat on pavements
outside the Kaaba. Along one curb sat a group of Nigerian women,
their robes bearing the name of a charity organization that helped
them make the pilgrimage, while nearby were dozens of Afghan women,
with bright red ribbons tied to their headscarves to mark their
tour group.
Saudi authorities estimate nearly 3 million pilgrims are
attending this year's haj with over than 1.6 million from
abroad.
Over 30,000 police and other security forces were deployed
around the holy sites to help smooth traffic around ritual sites
that have seen deadly stampedes occurred. More than 360 people were
killed during last year's haj in a stampede at Mina during a ritual
symbolizing the stoning of the devil, sparked when some pilgrims in
the crowd stumbled over luggage.
Saudi Arabia spent more than US$1 billion over the past year on
a project to renovate the stoning site, where the massive crowds
file past three stone walls symbolizing the devil to pelt them with
stones. New entrances and exits were added around the walls to ease
crowd flow, with repeated announcements being made reminding
pilgrims to not bring luggage to the site.
Thursday, the crowds filtered out of Mecca toward Mina through
the desert valley, chanting, "Labbeik, allahum, labbeik," Arabic
for "I am here, Lord."
They will spend the night in a tent city in Mina before heading
today for Mount Arafat, the site where Muhammad gave his final
sermon in 632. There they spend the day and night in prayer and
meditation before returning to Mina for the stoning ritual.
(China Daily December 29, 2006)
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