Hajj Begins Amid Worries About Health and Regional Turmoil

An estimated 1.5 to 2 million Muslims are on the annual pilgrimage to Mecca known as the Hajj. That’s far fewer than last year, as Saudi authorities seek to keep the ritual isolated both from tensions in other Middle Eastern countries and from a health threat that has killed more than 50 people in the kingdom. After circling the Kaaba - the holiest spot in Islam -  the pilgrims converged on a hilltop where Islam’s Prophet Muhammad called on Muslims to unite some 14 centuries ago. But ...

© La Voix de l'Amérique - lundi 14 octobre 2013