Pilgrims pour into Makkah for Haj

Pilgrims have been descending in droves on Makkah for the Haj, the world’s largest annual gathering which Saudi Arabia insists will not be affected by instability shaking the region. Walking in groups, mostly led by guides with their countries’ flags printed on their garments, faithful men and women have poured into Makkah to perform the minor pilgrimage, or Umrah, ahead of the major Haj rituals. Officials say the main events, which begin on Wednesday, are expected to attract more than 2mn devotees from across the world. Thursday marks the most important day, when all pilgrims assemble in the Arafat plain outside Makkah. The pilgrimage ends after Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, which will be celebrated on Friday. “It’s my first time in Makkah for pilgrimage. I can’t wait to pray in Arafat,” said 32-year-old Koara Abdulrahman, a businessman from Burkina Faso. Inside the Grand Mosque, scores of pilgrims continually circumambulate the Kaaba. Others pray or recite verses of the Qur’an, while many sleep in corners. “Right now, I’ve got all the good feelings you can think of,” said an Iranian pilgrim, her voice quivering and tears welling up in her eyes. Authorities said more than 1.6mn foreign pilgrims have already arrived and the numbers are set to grow by Wednesday. Around 750,000 domestic pilgrims are also expected to take part in the rituals. Despite several checkpoints on the roads leading to Makkah to prevent illegal pilgrims, huge numbers of unauthorised devotees also join the Haj every year. It was unclear how many Syrians, whose country is being rocked by a civil war that began with a popular uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime 19 months ago, will make the journey. Damascus claimed in September that Saudi authorities have barred Syrians from travelling to this year’s Haj after the two sides failed “to reach consensus”. But on Saturday Saudi Interior Minister Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz insisted that pilgrims from Syria are not being barred, except those who sent in their applications too late. The Saudi envoy to Lebanon said last week that the kingdom will also grant visas to Syrians in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan, where thousands of refugees who have fled the violence are being accommodated. Prince Ahmed also warned that Riyadh will not allow the Haj to be “politicised” and told reporters the kingdom was not worried that trouble in Syria and other Arab countries could affect the Haj or that pilgrims from Iran would cause any disturbance. “I don’t expect pilgrims or the pilgrimage to be affected by what is taking place elsewhere, whether Syria or any other place,” he said. “We don’t expect any” unrest to be caused by Iranians, he added. “The Iranians have assured us that they are as concerned about the comfort of pilgrims as we are,” Prince Ahmed told a news conference that followed a military parade by security forces and civil defence.