Mecca pilgrimage filled with fears of attacks

Mecca  (AsiaNews) – Under cool 29° temperatures, today marks the second day of the pilgrimage for nearly 2 million Muslims traveling to Mecca, a fundamental pillar of the Islamic faith. This year's pilgrimage, however, is occurring under the enormous security measures taken by the Saudi government. Just yesterday Saudi police arrested 7 suspects of a group planning terrorist attacks.   

Day one of the pilgrimage, which lasts 5 days, was begun yesterday, on the day of the Tarwiya (the first day of the pilgrimage). The day was begun with a 10 km procession on foot and in trucks from Mecca eastward-bound to Wadi Muna, a small uninhabited village. 

Wearing ihram (white clothing worn by Muslim pilgrims), Muslim faithful sang the first Talbia invocation of the hajj pilgrimage: "Here I am, my Lord, at your command! My will is your command! You are God, and no one is your equal. My will is your command! All praise, blessings and majesty are yours. You are God, no one is your equal.     

After having spent yesterday in prayer until sunset and slept in fire-resistant tents (set up by the Saudi government) and after saying prayer at this morning' sunrise, pilgrims were directed toward the Arafat flatland. Today, in accordance with day 2 of the pilgrimage, or the "Wuquf", pilgrims remain standing to recall judgment day. Some flow over onto Mount Mercy, where the prophet Mohammed gave his "farewell" sermon, spelling out the pillars of the Islamic faith.      

After completing this duty, before tomorrow's sunrise, pilgrims then return to Wadi Muna where they will celebrate sacrificial rites (a ram or sheep whose meat is sealed in containers will depart for the world's poorest countries) of Al Adha (in memory of Abraham's sacrifice). Faithful will spend the other two days in Muna where they will perform the "stoning of Satan", a ritual where Muslims throw rocks at a white stone structure called the almizdalfa, –not once by seven times. Their actions symbolize a believer's refusal to be tempted by evil and vice.     

Having concluded these rituals, it is then possible to take off their ihram, wear normal clothes again, shave and cut their hair.

At the end, faithful do the tawaf, by going 7 times anti-clockwise around the Ka'aba, or black stone. Seven is number that symbolizes infinity.   

For the occasion, thousands of closet-circuit television cameras were mounted in sacred areas and police forces checked all cars passing through the city of Mecca and asked to see travelers' papers. The director of the Saudi immigration office, Giamil Sajini, said that since last Tuesday "1,390,407 pilgrims" arrived from abroad.     

The Saudi pilgrimage minister, Ayad Ben Amin Madani, said the number of  " Saudi pilgrims was 500,000 in addition to the residents of Mecca".

The decline in numbers this year – between 2 and 2.5 million pilgrims were expected – is due to an ingrained fear of terrorist attacks against Saudi Arabia. Yesterday, Saudi television aired confessions of some members of terrorist cells and announced that government authorities confiscated over 300 RPG rockets and 430 hand bombs as well as a huge quantity of weapons to be used for eventual attacks on Saudi Arabia. This year for the second time Al Jazeera was prohibited from airing the events. This was perhaps due to the fact that Qatar television network is often critical of the Saud family. (PB)

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