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Wednesday, 15 March, 2000, 20:26 GMT
Pilgrims descend from Mount Arafat
![]() A sea of pilgrims arrives on the Plain of Arafat
More than two million Muslim pilgrims have descended from Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia after the central ritual of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
At sunset wave after wave of pilgrims, many on foot, made their way to Muzdalifah after a day of prayer and asking for forgiveness at Mount Arafat, the site where Prophet Mohammad delivered his final sermon 14 centuries ago. At Muzdalifah, pilgrims pick up pebbles for the ritual stoning of three pillars that symbolise the devil. This ritual begins on Thursday in the Mina valley, where pilgrims will celebrate the feast - the Eid al-Adha - during which pilgrims will slaughter sheep, commemorating Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son at God's request. The cleansing of sins Pilgrims who have performed the day of prayer and reading from the Islamic holy book, the Koran, at Arafat is believed to be cleansed of their sins. "I am here to find happiness in life and to win a place in heaven after death. I have made lots of mistakes in the past. I hope my sins will now be cleared," said Ethiopian Alaa Shamseddine.
During the day, volunteers offered free water to the pilgrims, many of whom carried parasols to shelter them as temperatures reached 37 degrees Celsius (99 F). Helicopters and ambulances were on hand to help those that suffered sunstroke. The pilgrimage is a religious obligation on able bodied Muslims who can afford to perform it. No security problems Saudi officials say a record 1.25 million non-Saudi pilgrims have come to perform the Hajj this year. The Emir of Mecca Prince Abdel Majeed announced on Wednesday that the ascent to Mount Arafat had passed with no significant security or health incidents.
The Saudi organisers say they have spent more than $700m on safety measures to prevent accidents.
Gas cookers have been banned, fireproof tents have been installed, helicopters hover overhead and thousands of medical staff are on stand-by. Three years ago, a fire swept through the same tented area, killing 350 people. The following year a stampede on a crowded bridge killed more than 100 people. So far the measures have largely paid off but last week two people were crushed to death in a stampede in Mecca. The Saudis have also sought to keep the Hajj a religious rather than political event, although reports from Tehran say Iranian pilgrims have held a low-key protests attacking Israel and the United States. |
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