January 22, 2004. Copyright 2004. Graphic News. All rights reserved.

Haj Pilgrimage

LONDON, January 22, Graphic News: As Muslim pilgrims from all corners of the world continue to pour into the holy city of Mecca in preparation for the Haj, Saudi authorities are concerned that this year they are facing increased risk from infectious disease and the threat of terrorism.

Almost 2.5 million Muslims are expected to travel to Mecca to perform Haj, which retraces the steps of the Prophet Muhammad 14 centuries ago. Officially, Haj begins on the eighth day of the Dhul-Hijah month of the Muslim lunar calendar, which this year falls on January 31.

Haj constitutes the fifth and final pillar of Islam, and all Muslims must undertake the journey to Mecca at least once in their lifetime -- health and finances permitting. The other four pillars or central duties are: declaring a belief in God and his Prophet Muhammad, praying to Allah five times a day, fasting until sunset during the month of Ramadan, and giving to the poor.

Despite their best efforts, the Saudis have not always been able to keep Haj free from either politics or tragedy. In 1987, 402 pilgrims died when security forces clashed with Iranians staging anti-U.S. demonstrations, and this year more anti-American sentiment is expected in the wake of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which many Muslims considered an attack on their faith. Authorities have been on heightened alert since suicide bombings in May 2003 killed 51 people and al-Qaeda training camps were discovered in the desert.

In the run-up to Haj, Mecca and the surrounding area fill to bursting point almost overnight. To prevent the spread of disease, pilgrims from the Republic of Congo will be barred after the recent Ebola epidemic, and scanners at airports will detect pilgrims with high body temperatures, a possible sign of SARS.

To cope with the sheer volume of visitors, Saudi authorities regularly upgrade safety procedures and improve facilities. These days thousands of staff, or moallims, are on hand to assist pilgrims who have access to 87 clinics and several communal kitchens, introduced after 343 people were killed in 1997 by a blaze started by a pilgrim cooking on a gas fire.

Once in Mecca, pilgrims first perform ihram, the donning of simple white clothes to symbolise their purity and equality before God. Five days of rituals precede their return to the Grand Mosque and the Ka'aba, the focal point of Muslim worship and the highlight of the Haj. After circling the cube-shaped, black stone construction seven times, pilgrims may start for home in the belief that they are now as pure as the day they were born. 

/ENDS

Sources: Saudi Press Agency, Reuters, Associated Press