MECCA (voa) – Some two million Muslims have converged on Mecca for the annual hajj pilgrimage amid Saudi government warnings it will not tolerate any political activity.
The country’s interior minister (Mayef bin Abdel Aziz) says authorities will use force if necessary to stop events that are not part of the traditional rites of the pilgrimage. Friday, the imam of Mecca’s Grand Mosque urged pilgrims to stay away from any disturbance during the hajj.
The pilgrimage is the first mass gathering of Muslims since the September 11th attacks on the United States and the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan.
The extra soldiers on duty are also a precaution against the deadly fires and stampedes that have plagued the hajj in recent years. Last year, 35 Muslims were crushed in a stampede during the symbolic Stoning of Satan ritual.
Islamic tradition holds Mount Arafat outside Mecca to be the place where the prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven 14 centuries ago. Islamic scriptures say every able-bodied Muslim must carry out the piligramage to Mecca at least once in their lifetimes.
This year’s pilgramage reaches its climax on Thursday, when the pilgrims will walk to Mount Arafat and pray for forgiveness.
