Jeddah, November 23: Braving the swine flu pandemic and tensions between the Saudi hosts and Shiite Iran, more than 2.5 million Muslim faithful are descending on the holy cities of Mecca and Medina this week for the hajj.
Under heightened monitoring by some 20,000 medical staff and more than 100,000 security personnel, the world's largest annual pilgrimage kicks off on Wednesday in western Saudi Arabia.
Four deaths from the A(H1N1) virus announced on Saturday -- the first among pilgrims -- served as a warning to the faithful who have mostly eschewed surgical masks and other preventive measures.
But the number was less than had been feared by the Saudi authorities.
Pilgrims from all over the world have poured into Saudi Arabia, by plane, bus and boat since October, for what for many is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Among the other concerns, Saudi officials are hoping also that repeated deadly stampedes -- the last in 2006 left 364 dead -- are a thing of the past.
Builders just completed a massive five-storey pedestrian walkway for the most crowded stage of the hajj -- the stoning of the devil at the Jamarat in Mina valley -- designed to avoid the panics of the past.
The 950 metre (3,135 foot) long, 80 metre (264 foot) wide bridge cost 1.2 billion dollars.
Swine flu has been a major concern since it reached pandemic level earlier this year.
By Saturday, only 20 pilgrims had been diagnosed with the disease. Twelve had been treated and discharged, four died and four remained in hospital.
Health ministry spokesman Dr.
Evertthing is for Allah
Can some body learned person explain, since when Saudi became a sunnis society, they are not, and even there offical document called them self Wahabbis. This is there game to save themself from shame which has become there naseeb.
What ?
Assalamu Allaikum,
What's that above statemnet, Im not a saudi but saying fool to some one it mean u are describing urself as a fool too.
Try to unite people not to divide them,this is one of the main reason we (Muslim) are divided and whole world playing with our community. Ready Quran and try to understand it and Insha Allah you will get hidayah.
Allah Hafiz
TRUTH OF KABBA
THESE PEOPLE WHO GO AROUND THE KABBA,DO THEY KNOW WHO WAS BORN IN THERE,THE ONE AN ONLY PERSON ALI IBNE ABU TALIB,BROTHER OF PROPHET MOHAMMAD,AND SAUDI PEOPLE R FOOL,SAYIN THAT ITS ALLAH PLACE,AND SAY ALI IS KAFIR OR BAD,ONE DAY WILL COME THAT NO ONE WILL SAVE THESE FOOL...
May ALLAH Guide you to the
May ALLAH Guide you to the right path... before you die...
EVERYTHING IS FOR ALLAH
DEAR BROTHER , HOLY KAABA IS ALLAH'S PLACE ,EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD BELONG TO ALLAH. SAUIDS ARE STRUGGLING TO GIVE BEST SERVICE TO PEOPLE WHO CAME TO PERFORM HAJJ. HAZARAT ALI RAZIALLAHU WAS KHALIFAH FOR UMMAH. ALL MUSLIMS SHOULD FOLLOW PROPHET SUNNAH NOT OTHER THAN HIM.MAY ALLAH ACCEPT ALL HAJIS HAAJ.
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