Tearful Pilgrims Pray for Peace.
     
        
      ARAFAT, 20 January 2005 - A white sea of the faithful flowed to the plains of Arafat under cold, breezy and overcast conditions as dawn broke on the second day of the five-day pilgrimage yesterday. Waves of men in seamless white robes and women in flowing overalls joined voices in a crescendo chanting "Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik" (Here I am O God, answering your call).

      The pilgrims, their eyes wet with tears, prayed for peace everywhere on the most critical day of the Haj as the words of the grand mufti echoed from the loudspeakers. Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh cautioned the Ummah against the conspiracies being hatched against them and their religion.

      "Oh Muslim nation, there are campaigns waged against the people of Islam," he said at the majestic Nimrah Mosque. "They are all against this religion. They are against this nation. They describe us as terrorists and backward. Beware of their conspiracies and close in your ranks," he said. The sheikh urged Muslims to abide by the words of God and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). "The greatest test for the Muslim nation is its own sons going astray." 

      In an oblique reference to youths who have taken up arms, he said: "Do not allow yourselves to be used by enemies of the nation to weaken it. The greatest affliction to strike the nation of Islam came from some of its own sons, who were lured by the devil. They have called the nation infidel, they have shed protected blood and they have spread vice on earth, with explosions and destruction and killing of innocents." 

      The grand mufti asked them: "How would you meet God? With innocent blood you shed or helped shed?" 

      Tears rolled down the cheeks of pilgrims as they climbed Jebel Al-Rahmah or Mount of Mercy, where Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon 14 centuries ago. The mount was flooded by pilgrims who sat or stood there for hours contemplating and praying. 

      Standing at Mount Arafat in prayer before sunset on Dul Hijjah 9 is the high point of the Haj. The pilgrims who fail to make it on time must come for Haj again.

      In his last sermon, the Prophet said: "All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over a white - except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not therefore do injustice to yourselves. Remember one day you will meet Allah and answer your deeds. So beware: Do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone." 

      "This is amazing," a Tanzanian pilgrim said. "Look at this crowd answering God's call, 1,400 years after the Prophet, the nation is alive and well." 

      "I prayed for peace and prosperity of my country, in particular, for Darfur," said a Sudanese, Ismail Taha.

      "Hundreds of people have lost their lives in Darfur. Now this fighting among the rival groups must stop once and for all so that we live in peace and security and our country prospers," Taha said. "I performed the religious rites smoothly and mostly trouble-free. Still, I cannot believe that I have performed one of the most important rituals of Haj and showed my gratitude to Almighty," said Col. Saifuddin from Pakistan.

      "I also prayed for my country to emerge stronger as a nation," Saif said.

      Bakr Al-Haroon, a Makkan who was formerly employed with the Saudi Telecom Company, said: "I prayed for the well-being of the Muslim community. We are going through a very bad time. Everywhere Muslims and Arabs are suffering. I asked Allah to strengthen their hands to make them strong. In Palestine, in Iraq, in Kashmir. May Allah help them all," he said raising his hands in prayer.

      Saad Hamdoun from Doha, Qatar, said: "This reminds me of the Day of Judgment where we will all be gathered together dressed in simple white garb made up of two pieces of cloth so that a prince and a pauper are indistinguishable, a nobleman and a slave are side by side, an illiterate and an intellectual are in the same class, color and race do not matter, nothing matters on this day except your good deeds," he said. "But I feel lonely, all alone, as we all will be on the Day of Reckoning," he added.

      The arrangements of the Ministry of Health were amazing. It has established 50 medical centers in Arafat with over 12 doctors and 40 paramedics in each center to take care of the pilgrims. Dr. Rasheed Subhi, a doctor with the MOH said that his center alone received 6,000 cases since morning. "We treated about 6,000 pilgrims of chest pain, headache and fatigue," Subhi said. 

      The pilgrims left Arafat after sunset, moving to Muzdalifa where they will spend the night following in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad. They will also collect pebbles from Muzdalifa to stone Jamrat in Mina at dawn today in a ritual symbolizing the stoning of the devil.

      Thousands of police were stationed along the routes to Arafat and helicopters hovered overhead. The pilgrimage proceeded without incident under the watchful eyes of thousands of police and troops. Police patrols organized traffic and the movement of pilgrims as helicopters hovered above.
     

  Arafat Baby Deemed a Lucky Arrival.
     
        
      ARAFAT, 20 January 2005 - Most visiting pilgrims take a souvenir or two home from Haj, but one Nigerian couple are going to take home a three-kilogram, kicking, gurgling newborn baby girl with them to commemorate a Haj they'll never forget.

      A 35-year-old Nigerian woman gave birth to a baby girl at the Arafat General Hospital yesterday.

      Aisha Yaqoob Hussain immediately named her Arafah, after nurses who delivered the baby insisted that she name the baby Arafah.

      Aisha works in Makkah. She came for Haj along with other pilgrims from her native Nigeria. She was helping them with sundry tasks.

      "This is like a dream come true," the proud mother said from her hospital bed when this journalist visited her along with her husband Yaqoob Hussain.

      The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who delivered a much-revered sermon here in Arafat, laid special stress on the safety and honor of Muslim girls. Baby girls born on the plains of Arafat are considered special.

      "She is a lucky girl," said a beaming Yaqoob Hussain. "For fathers, daughters are a special treasure."

      Arafah is already proving to be lucky as is her mother.

      Aisha in fact took a great risk. Her expected date of delivery was Jan. 24, but she decided to walk all the way from Mina to Arafat to advance her delivery.

      "We would not have advised her to do that," said Dr. Omaimah Salem Tafran, the attending physician. "But then everybody is happy, and, as they say, all is well that ends well."

      And the physician says Arafah is doing well, and she seems to be pretty happy for a newborn.

      Arafah kept smiling all the way as the chants of talbiyah reverberated.

      "I hope she will bring us a lot of good luck having been born here in this holy land," said Yaqoob Hussain. "Mashallah, I have four kids. She is the fifth one and the luckiest one."



            Build Bridges of Mercy, Says Fahd.
           
              
            JEDDAH, 20 January 2005 - Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah yesterday congratulated Saudi citizens, pilgrims and Muslims all over the world on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, which is celebrated in the Kingdom today(Thursday 20th January).Their statement, announced by Information Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy, said: "On the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you all asking Allah to repeat this day for many years with greater happiness and good fortune. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is honored to be home to the two holy mosques and to take care of pilgrims until they perform their Haj in peace and security and return home.

            "Eid has many connotations in Islam ...to show joy and happiness and to look for the needs of brother Muslims and build bridges of mercy and sympathy with the brothers in Islam away from extravagance and extremism. Islam is against terrorism, which leads to destruction that Islam forbids. 

                  Haj Goes Better With Mobile Phones.
                 
                    
                  JEDDAH, 20 January 2005 - Modern technology has changed the way Muslims experience Haj, a rite required of able-bodied faithful who can afford it at least once in a lifetime. It has made the pilgrimage smooth and safer than in the past. Now with a mobile phone in hand, a pilgrim has much less chance of getting lost in the sea of humanity. He keeps in touch with other people of his group.

                  Dressed in a two-piece seamless white cloth, Egyptian pilgrim Fareed Hummoudi prayed during the Standing on Arafat as Haj climaxed yesterday. With a prayer booklet in one hand and a mobile phone in the other, chanting religious verses and prayers in unison with other pilgrims. He was using his mobile to relay the sermon of the imam of the Nimra mosque to his wife back in Egypt.

                  It has also changed the way Muslim experience being Muslims, as militants have popularly seized on the Internet as a tool for publicizing their extremist, often violent, version of the religion.

                  Fareed was thrilled to have had the technology to share his pilgrimage with his wife, who stayed at home.

                  "I am so happy, it felt like both me and my wife were facing Allah together," he said, standing in Arafat.

                  Several others were also carrying mobile phones and some of them camera-equipped phones and immortalizing some unforgettable moments of Haj on it to show them to their family members back home.

                  Pre-paid SAWA mobile phone chips were available easily for SR110.

                  Outside the Grand Mosque, pilgrims were clicking digital photos to later e-mail home.

                  "It is my second Haj. Last time wife was lost during the ritual of stoning the jamarat and then the stampede took place. I ran from one place to another to find her. Alhamdulliah she came back safe and sound. But I cannot explain the tension I went through until she was back. So, this time first thing which I did was to buy a local SAWA card. It is really a great help."

                  A South African pilgrim Rashed Sulaiman was intermittently receiving calls on his handset. In fact, he was in touch with his office in Cape Town. "This is my first Haj. Since I am a senior executive in an American software giant, I cannot leave things there in the office at the mercy of others. I am in touch with my office on mobile. It has helped me a lot. I have mixed work with worship."

                  This kind of advancement in communication has changed the whole perspective of the pilgrimage, said a girl with a camera phone in hand.

                  Nilofar Lone from Anantnag in India who was praying with her bead in one hand looked confident with a mobile phone in the other hand. "It is helping me to keep me in touch with my family members who are praying in their camp. I wanted to have a look at Arafat so I came out. I have no fear of getting lost or facing any problem as long as my mobile works. It really keeps you in touch with others and boost self-confidence," she said.

                  However, Algerian Amir Shaid was as not happy with mobile-carrying pilgrims. He said, "You should not get too carried away with this stuff, there's a lot of bad things out there. They are a constant disturbance for those who want to concentrate on prayers."

                  Shaid said that though modern communications were "a blessing," there was a negative aspect which should not be overlooked.

                        Haj Reflections: Day 2. 
                          
                        The Day of Arafat dawned cold and gray. Pilgrims hoping for some comfort from their loved ones in distant lands were to be disappointed. The cellular network in Mina and Arafat did not live up to its promise. The pilgrims had trouble completing both domestic and international calls. Sharif Noor from Alexandria, Egypt, said he had been dialing furiously for hours trying to reach his family to inform them his safety, but his efforts were useless. He acquired a mobile phone and chip especially for this purpose. He stated that he wished he had never thought of getting a phone because it had introduced an element of frustration into his worship. Even pilgrims with ALJAWAL phones are unable to get a connection. For every 20 times dialing a number, the ringing of that number would be heard only once and the connection would frequently be lost even then.


                        * * *

                        Weather has been the defining factor of this year's pilgrimage. The weather was cold for the last two days and yesterday the sun hardly peeped through the clouds. For the first time in the five years that I have covered Haj, this is the first year that not a ray of sunlight blazed on the plains at Arafat. In the past, the norm was to see the pilgrims praying in bright sunshine, their faces covered in sweat. This year, even at midday, the pilgrims were shivering in the cold. Women and children tended to take cover inside the vehicles lined up on the outskirts of the area. Men huddled together in tight groups to pray or gathered under trees or around stalls selling hot tea.


                        * * *

                        Most of the food available was in the form of cold, boxed lunches, so there was little comfort in the meals. Many pilgrims have caught upper respiratory infections, and they coughed and sneezed their way through the afternoon. Paramedics on patrol amidst the clustered pilgrims stated that they had been told to expect an increasing incidence of pilgrims with minor colds, which were not a serious problem, but to be on the lookout for elderly pilgrims suffering breathing difficulties. The elderly did appear especially miserable as the afternoon progressed. There was a nasty nip in the air and the wind blew unceasingly. Dark clouds covered the entire area and sunset approached quickly. Everyone was grateful that the expected rain showers did not materialize.


                        * * *

                        Vendors hoping to sell cool drinks, fruits and sweets faired poorly this year. Some quick thinking business people had insulated containers of tea shipped to the area and those sold out rapidly. With few takers for sodas and chilled water the amount of garbage thrown on the ground in the vicinity of the pilgrims was greatly reduced. Umbrella sellers had huge losses and in general people were not in a buying mood.


                        * * *

                        First timers are quite awed by the arrangements and logistics. Everyone is mentioning the wonderful job done by Saudi authorities at this Haj. Even those of us who have been here before are finding this pilgrimage to be the most highly organized event ever witnessed. The area is clean. Transportation is very organized. There are no queues for toilets or ablution facilities. Even frayed tempers are at a minimum this year. Most certainly this is in part due to the cool weather, but with all the logistics under control, the pilgrims are feeling increasingly confident that their journey of a lifetime will be a success.


                        * * *

                        One improvement from the pilgrims' side is that the awareness campaigns launched by individual nations appear to be paying off. There is more of an understanding that Haj is a duty that should be completed as early in life as possible. In the past, most of the younger pilgrims were from Malaysia and Indonesia. This year many young pilgrims can be seen from India and Pakistan, too. Improved economies in those nations have allowed more people the opportunity to perform Haj and it is good to see younger Muslims making the effort to put their improved finances to good use.


                        * * *

                        Part of that use has led to intense prayer. On the plains of Arafat pilgrims had many troubling issues on their minds. One Pakistani, Syed Maamoor Shah said, "My country became free thanks to our forefathers, but now I see that the integrity of my country is under threat. I pray to God to give our leaders the strength to thwart the evil designs of our enemies." For Sri Lankan pilgrims, recovery after the tsunami devastation was the greatest concern. All Iraqis were focused on praying for an end to occupation. Other Arab pilgrims were worried about the situation in the region.

                        Said one pilgrim, "Haj is no place for politics. We should be looking within, not without. But we are affected by what is happening all around us. The killing of Palestinian children ... the bombing and humiliation going on in Iraq. This is crushing the psyche of the people in this region. Here at Arafat I have cried and cried and been bereft. I don't know what to do to stop this misery."

                        In the sermon at Arafat, the pilgrims were warned about those who are trying to bring a bad name to Islam. They were urged to remember that unity is the need of the hour. Almost every pilgrim I met on the plains of Arafat said, "If we can come here forgetting our differences, what really stops us from coming together on the issues that concern us outside of this place?"

                        Many pilgrims pointed out the words of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioning that the entire Muslim Ummah is like one body. If one part of that body is hurt, the whole body feels the pain of it. "So why," the pilgrims asked, "is it that when Iraq is burning and there is pain in other Muslim countries there is no combined effort on the part of the Muslim world to come to the rescue of those people?" The pilgrims were not talking about providing military support. The concern of all was the lack of moral authority and the reluctance of many to speak up on behalf of the Ummah.

                        As an Indian, I was proud to see that Indian television station NDTV was on the plains of Arafat covering Haj for the first time. This is the first Indian channel to report the entire event live. NDTV began their live transmissions on Monday from the Grand Mosque in Makkah and they plan to continue their coverage through the conclusion of the rituals. Last year Rajdeep Sardesai of NDTV came to Saudi Arabia and promised that he would find the budget to cover this event that is so important to Indian Muslims. We must thank him for keeping his word. Kamal Khan, one of the most popular and prominent Hindi television journalists in India is anchoring the NDTV coverage. As the Indian media has always been very inward looking, this is a big step forward on the international broadcast stage.


                        * * *

                        Moving to Muzdalifah everyone was concerned about the cold night ahead, which would be spent in the open. Let us all pray that the pilgrims have the strength to march forward in a calm manner as dawn breaks. And let us also pray that the sound of prayers, not sirens, will fill the air around the Jamarat in Mina.

                              Steep Rise Seen in Sheep Prices.
                             
                                
                              JEDDAH, 20 January 2005 - While residents around the Kingdom complain of increased sheep prices during Haj, sheep traders explain that it is due to the high seasonal market demand.

                              According to sheep traders in the Jeddah market prices of the animal have gone up by SR150 per head this year compared to last year's prices. They say one reason for the increase is the high demand for sheep in the market. 

                              Khaled Al-Otaibi, a Saudi merchant in the market, said that sheep prices have gone up during the Haj season. "But it's not a normal seasonal increase; it's something else".

                              Pointing at a large sheep, black with a white head, Al-Otaibi said, "Alnuami breed in some cases have reached over a SR1,000 per head".

                              He added: "I have been in the business for 15 years and this is the first time that such a thing has occurred." 

                              Asked why, the 40-year-old trader replied that the number of sheep in the market had gone down. The majority of sheep in the market are young due to existing high market demand.

                              Mufrih Al-Sulami, a 63-year-old merchant, said prices are up by SR100 to SR150 per head for all breeds of sheep. He attributed the hike to a number of factors, one of which is the increase in fodder prices.

                              Al-Sulami, who has been in the business for 50 years, said the entry of many amateur merchants is another reason. These inexperienced merchants raise the bid too high forcing us to follow suit, Al-Sulami added.

                                Meet the Man for All (Haj) Seasons
                                 
                                  
                                ARAFAT, 20 January 2005 - ASSIGNMENT: Go into a crowd of two million people, interview them, write up a story and get it to Jeddah - pronto.

                                That's the challenge reporters face in covering the Haj, and trying to go in the opposite direction through two million people is as hard as it sounds. It's no small task. After getting into the tent city to do your interviews with pilgrims, you go back to the computer in the temporary office set up in Mina and type out your story.

                                Since four-wheel vehicles are not allowed, journalists have to bank on motor-scooters and driving them in the middle of more than two million pilgrims. It is a difficult and sometimes impossible task. If you get stuck in the crowd, you may be stuck for hours, but in Jeddah the hour keeps moving closer to press time.

                                Oof.

                                Visiting pilgrims often get help from an establishment to perform Haj. For the journalists of the many publications of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group, Abdul Mughni Ghalib Al-Tuwairi is just as invaluable.

                                With 30 years of experience, Abdul Mughni, 46, has been organizing the SRMG Haj team since 1991. Technology has changed a little bit since then.

                                "In those days we had to write our stories and then go from Mina to Makkah to fax them back to our offices in Jeddah," Abdul Mughni said during a rare break. "Those were not the days of the Internet and mobile phones. Now we can just phone our stories in."

                                Of course, his job was a little bit simpler back then.

                                "There was only one journalist representing our group then, and we had only one motor-scooter. Now we have eight scooters and 22 journalists representing the group."

                                He says Mina and Arafat have undergone tremendous changes over the last 10 years.

                                "There are so many trees in Arafat now," Abdul Mughni said. "Water sprinklers were not there back then. Now when it gets hot the sprinklers are the best way to cool the atmosphere. And also the number of pilgrims has risen immensely," he said.

                                The year 1997 is burned into Abdul Mughni's memory.

                                "The fire tragedy that resulted in the deaths of so many pilgrims was a nightmare," he said. "Our office on Al-Johara Street was surrounded by balls of fire. I saw pilgrims climbing onto the top of the pedestrian bridge behind our makeshift office."

                                Rushing out along with a cameraman to take photographs of the tragedy, he remembers falling down in the chaos. "We didn't know how to react to the situation," he said. "It was terrible."

                                Abdul Mughni is himself a Makkan. For him the opportunity to serve the pilgrims and report about them is a great honor. "We in Makkah have been hosting pilgrims for centuries," Abdul Mughni said. "It is in our blood. For all our lives, we wait for this great event, and every Makkan contributes in any way he can to make a difference in the pilgrimages of the Muslim and Arab visitors to this holy land."

                                Abdul Mughni says one year he decided not to organize or cover Haj and instead decided to spend his Eid Al-Adha holidays with his family in Taif, but it just didn't work. "While there, I switched on the television in the hotel room, and they were beaming live pictures from the Plains of Arafat," Abdul Mughni said. "I broke into tears, and I couldn't stop myself from rushing to Mina and Arafat."

                                So much for Eid Al-Adha vacations.

                                "The power of these images from Arafat and Mina are indescribable," Abdul Mughni said. "They're like magnets. Since that time I've decided not to miss covering Haj."

                                After we journalists are snug in our beds, Abdul Mughni has one more little chore - distributing Asharq Al-Awsat and Arab News on the plains of Arafat. You can tell he's doing a good job - the green of Asharq Al-Awsat and Arab News really stand out against the stark white background of Arafat.

                                "It gives me immense thrill when people buy Asharq and Arab News here in Mina and Arafat. I personally feel very proud," Abdul Mughni said. "It is like my mission is accomplished."



                                Eid Mubarak to you all my dear brothers and sisters in Islam whereever you may be on this blessed day.

                                "......Today I have perfected your religion for you,completed my favours upon you, and have chosen  for you Islam as your religion..."Surah 5 verse 3.

                                The very best of good wishes and salaam,

                                Musa.

                                 
                                  

                             





                       





                 






           
              

     

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