Haj Excitement Grips Makkah.
     
        
      MAKKAH, 16 January 2005 - Pilgrims of all description - young, old and very old, black, white and brown - making their journey of a lifetime have converged on Makkah to perform the rituals of Haj which climaxes on Wednesday with the Standing on Mount Arafat.

      With nearly two million Muslims from all over the world gathering in a geographic capsule in preparation for their religious duty, Makkah has virtually turned into a sea of seamless white clothes. Shops and business establishments were doing brisk business while traffic into the city was bumper to bumper yesterday.

      Thousands of pilgrims circumambulated the Holy Kaaba inside the Grand Mosque which stood in all its majesty and grandeur beckoning the faithful. Circumambulation of the holy structure is an integral part of Haj. Pilgrims circle the Kaaba to start and finish the Haj rituals, which can be stretched over days reaching its climax with the standing on Arafat.

      In the pilgrims' prayers were the thousands of people killed in the Dec. 26 tsunami that devastated Indian Ocean's coastal life, and asked God to give survivors the courage to cope.

      As the Haj tempo gathered pace in pleasant weather conditions, the tsunami tragedy weighed heavy with Indonesia - the world's most populous Muslim nation with 238 million people - hit hardest. But 200,000 Indonesians, the country's quota, still were expected to perform the annual pilgrimage.

      Haj is the fifth pillar of Islam and over two million Muslims from all over the world perform the pilgrimage each year. The pilgrimage is a must once in a lifetime for all able-bodied Muslims who can afford it. However, many people from Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries do it repeatedly. It is believed to cleanse the soul and wipe away sins.

      Yesterday, security was tight throughout the holy sites of Mina, Muzdalifa and Arafat to prevent stampedes or other incidents or accidents. At checkpoints several kilometers outside Makkah, security personnel were seen stopping cars randomly, peeking into trunks, shining mirrors to look for explosives in undercarriages and checking IDs and other personal documents.

      A fleet of 3,000 vehicles, 10,000 officers, 15 aircraft have been pressed into service to make Haj smooth and incident free, the Saudi Press Agency said.

      The Kingdom is taking extra safety measures to ensure this year's Haj is accident-free and also to avoid the kind of stampede during the ritual of stoning the devil that over the past years claimed many lives.

      Under a new plan that comes into effect this year, special emphasis would be given to the safety of pilgrims in the sprawling tent city of Mina. Extra safety measures will especially apply during the stone throwing ritual. Known as "Rami Al-Jamarat", or the stoning of the devil, it is considered one of the most important rituals of Haj.

      Stampedes usually happen over the bridge leading to the stoning areas where as many as two million pilgrims would be on the move round the clock. Last year, some 250 pilgrims were crushed to death and an equal number injured in a stampede during the stoning ritual.

      SPA reported 5,849 reserve officers and police were helping keep law and order and manage traffic during Haj. The reserve security force will work in tandem with other departments to ensure that the guests of God perform Haj in peace and comfort.

      Mina looked all bedecked to receive its annual visitors. The cleaning and maintenance of tents, roads and drinking water points as well as installation of safety equipment have been completed.

      The Ministry of Health has also completed its preparations for the protection of pilgrims from any possible outbreak of diseases. Individual Haj missions of different countries have also brought their medical personnel and equipment to look after the health of their nationals.

      Earlier, Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie told reporters his ministry is watching for any signs of epidemics, particularly among pilgrims from tsunami-hit areas. Thus far, none has been spotted.
     

  Naif Satisfied With Haj Security
     
        
      MAKKAH, 16 January 2005 - Interior Minister Prince Naif said yesterday that the Kingdom has made sufficient security arrangements to secure the safety of pilgrims during the coming Haj which climaxes with the Standing on Arafat on Wednesday.

      Prince Naif, who is also chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, was addressing a press conference in Makkah after inspecting security and other facilities put in place in the holy sites in preparation for the annual pilgrimage. 

      He stressed that new security equipment and machinery deployed in the Haj sites are meant to ensure maximum safety for pilgrims. He added that Saudi security forces are fully geared to meet any contingency.

      Prince Naif said 7,500 pilgrims have arrived from Libya and that they will be treated just as other Arab and Muslim pilgrims are treated. In answer to a question, he said all pilgrims will be treated as pilgrims. 

      Asked about gangs from certain countries who indulge in child and organ trading during Haj, Prince Naïf said they will be sternly dealt with.

      The interior minister called on the media to report Haj objectively and with clarity without blowing things out of proportion.

      Prince Naif inspected the forces in charge of Haj security, including riot and anti-terror units, traffic and highway security forces and civil defense units. 

      He inspected some of the new equipment introduced for the first time to ensure additional safety for the pilgrims.

      Nearly two million pilgrims, more than half of them from abroad, are expected to perform Haj this year. The five-day ritual begins on Tuesday. Saudi authorities have deployed additional security and military forces in Makkah and the surrounding areas to ensure the safety of pilgrims.

      Police reinforcements have been deployed at the entrances to Makkah and on the roads leading to the holy sites in order to facilitate traffic. Over 14,200 buses will be used to transport pilgrims within the holy sites. 

      More than 50,000 security men have been deployed to secure Haj, said Brig. Mansour Al-Turki, the Ministry of Interior spokesman. Between 70 and 80 percent of their task is primarily concerned with traffic control and ensuring the safety of pilgrims. More than 10,000 officers have been deployed to deal with any developments related to security matters.

      The ministers of Haj, information, health, finance, commerce and industry and members of the Supreme Haj Committee in addition to heads of government departments involved in Haj services accompanied Prince Naif during the inspection tour. 

      The director of public security, Gen. Saeed Al-Qahtani, said security men were determined to "exert maximum effort to accomplish the mission they have been assigned to do" adding they consider the service of pilgrims and ensuring their safety an honor. 

      "The security forces would confront anyone who tries to destabilize the security or achievements of this country," he said in a speech while outlining the Haj security plan. 



            Haj Watch: 47 Pilgrims Arrive as King's Guests.
           
              
            RIYADH, 16 January 2005 - Forty-seven pilgrims, who are guests of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd, arrived in Makkah yesterday to perform Haj. In a press release, Dr. Saleh Al-Wohaiby, secretary-general of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth, said it was the first batch of a total of 200 pilgrims who will be performing Haj as guests of King Fahd.

            WAMY has been entrusted with the responsibility of looking after these pilgrims and organizing their visits to religious sites. The pilgrims include five from Romania, six from Italy, seven from France, eight from Britain, 10 from Germany and 11 from Bulgaria.

            100 Hotlines to Answer Queries

            MAKKAH, 16 January 2005 - The Department of Guidance in the Grand Mosque in Makkah has set up more than 100 hotlines. The phone lines are linked directly to a number of sheikhs who will answer any questions the pilgrims might have pertaining to the performance of Haj.

            The head of the department, Sheikh Yousif Al-Wabil, said more than 50 sheikhs and religious students would devote their time around the clock to answering pilgrims' questions. The department has also printed more than 1.2 million brochures for distribution to pilgrims.

            Supervision of Markets

            MAKKAH, 16 January 2005 - The General Department for Health and Environment in Makkah has increased its inspections of local restaurants and markets in order to ensure the health and safety of pilgrims. Teams have been formed within the department and so far, inspections were carried out in more than 26,500 shops and restaurants.

            Fire Department Prepares for Haj

            MAKKAH, 16 January 2005 - The chief of the Fire Department in Makkah, Gen. Abdullah Al-Tuwaijri, said the department's total work force this year is more than 10,000. More than 3,000 cars and other vehicles have been earmarked for Haj in addition to 15 airplanes.

            The department also has 100 boats which could be used in the unlikely event of heavy rains and flooding.



                  Grand Mufti Hits Out at Critics of Islam.
                 
                    
                  JEDDAH, 16 January 2005 - Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, the Kingdom's grand mufti, said the people who attack Islam accusing it of encouraging terrorism and extremism and denying human rights are telling lies and know very well they are spreading falsehood.

                  Speaking at a conference organized by the Makkah-based Muslim World League on inter-culture dialogue, Al-Asheikh said critics of Islam are driven by their enmity of the faith. He called upon Muslims to project the true face of Islam without any excesses or compromises.

                  "The accusations directed against Islam by those who accuse it of terrorism, extremism and disrespect for human rights and freedom come from people who know they are telling lies. They know very well that what they say (against Islam) is false and deep inside they know they are committing injustice and aggression by behaving the way they do. It is the enmity against Islam deep inside them that drives them to attack Islam," he told the delegates from different countries.

                  The conference which coincides with the annual pilgrimage to Makkah aims at preparing the ground for a fruitful and sustained dialogue with non-Muslims to remove misunderstandings about Islam among non-Muslims, achieve understanding and coexistence between different cultures, unite world efforts to confront the common challenges facing humanity and ensure respect for cultural diversity and work to bridge differences between cultures and civilizations.

                  Secretary-General Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki said the MWL is pioneering a project for the establishment of a permanent center for inter-faith dialogue to be based in a European country and act as a bridge between Islam and other cultures.

                  The grand mufti said Muslims should benefit from the many available media and other information outlets to spread Islam among the intellectuals and educated of the world.

                  "Many non-Muslims know very little or nothing about Islam and depend on hearsay, which is usually repulsive and distorted information... They think that what they hear and what they are told about Islam is the truth. It is only through constructive dialogue led by people who very well understand Islam and its teachings that the enemies of Islam could be exposed and their lies refuted."

                  Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed told the delegates that dialogue is a "pressing human necessity" and a means for arriving at a higher degree of understanding and coexistence among peoples and countries of the world.

                  "Saudi Arabia firmly believes that working to serve humanity through dialogue would achieve world peace and ensure security for all by reducing the possibility of confrontation and conflict among civilizations. Dialogue would also unite the efforts to address the problems facing humanity, notably terrorism," he said.

                  Prince Abdul Majeed stressed the need for internal dialogue among Muslims themselves, saying this would enable the Ummah to come together and collectively work to end dissent and prevent the seeds of extremism from taking roots.

                  Dr. Al-Turki said constructive and fruitful dialogue would only be possible when people "free themselves from the superiority complex and stop playing the role of guardians over others", adding that "superiority and arrogance based on material achievements have led the world to two devastating wars and may lead it into more unjust wars launched under the pretext of defending freedom, human rights and globalization".
                 

           
              

     

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