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| Arabia |
| Hajj begins today - Saudis and Iran in a dispute |
| 2017-08-31 |
| More than 1.7 million Muslims from around the world have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the start of the annual hajj pilgrimage this week. Once in Mecca -- the site of Islam's holiest place of worship-- they will be reminded that the ruling Al Saud family is the only custodian of this place. Large portraits of the king and the country's founder hang in hotel lobbies across the city. A massive clock tower bearing the name of King Salman's predecessor flashes fluorescent green lights at worshippers below. A large new wing of the Grand Mosque in Mecca is named after a former Saudi king, and one of the mosque's entrances is named after another... Saudi Arabia uses its oversight of the hajj to bolster its standing in the Muslim world -- and to spite its foes, from Iran and Syria to Qatar. Its archrival, the Shiite power Iran, has in turn tried to utilize the hajj to undermine the kingdom... Ahead of this year's hajj, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei essentially called on pilgrims to hold protests... "Where else, better than Mecca, Medina ... can Muslims go to express their concerns regarding Al-Aqsa and Palestine?" Khamenei said, referring to one of Islam's holiest and most contentious sites in Jerusalem. Senior Saudi clerics were quick to respond, saying the pilgrimage should not be exploited and reminding worshippers that the ultimate goal of the hajj is "to spend all their time and effort in worshipping Almighty Allah." |
| Posted by:lord garth |
| #3 "We already have several new TB strains, STDs, and easily transmittable animal respiratory contagions available for your sampling" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2017-08-31 20:40 |
| #2 Stampede begins sometime Monday then. |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2017-08-31 20:30 |
| #1 "...and buying stuff!" |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2017-08-31 18:41 |