The Hajj Pilgrimage Beings

The population of Mecca is ballooning today as more than two million Muslims arrive in the holy city to begin the hajj pilgrimage. By tomorrow morning all pilgrims will have arrived at Mount Arafat, 10 miles east of Mecca and the the Eid al-adha, a feast of the secretive, beings Monday. Saudi officials are taking great pains to prevent disasters like the trampling of 362 pilgrims in 2006, like the institution of checkpoints, which are improving traffic flow. The Saudi Government is also watching for any signs of militancy, particularly in light of last week’s attacks in India, and discouraging any politicization of the hajj. "Saudi Arabia is above any party or political intentions behind the hajj. Pilgrims should not raise any slogans other than that of Islam," Islamic Affairs Minister Saleh bin Abdul-Aziz Al al-Sheikh said.