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June 16, 2024 – 12:58
(Keystone-ATS) Muslim faithful perform the last major ritual of the annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia on Sunday in Mina, the stoning of the steles representing Satan, on the first day of Eid al-Adha, a major holiday in Islam.
From dawn, crowds of pilgrims began to follow one another in front of the steles in the valley of Mina, on which they threw stones, before returning to the holy city near Mecca for new convolutions around the Kaaba, in the center of the Great Mosque.
It was during the stoning ritual that a stampede cost the lives of some 2,300 pilgrims in 2015. The site has since undergone major developments to streamline the movement of crowds.
The roads leading to the steles were nevertheless crowded with pilgrims walking under the blazing sun. “It’s too hot,” a woman from Jordan, who did not wish to give her name, said in passing.
On the side of the road, believers sat down to regain their strength and drink water, while others lay down, visibly exhausted.
“All equal”
On Saturday, the pilgrims slept under the stars in the Mouzdalifa plain, located a few kilometers from Mina, after spending the day praying and reciting the Koran at Mount Arafat, where temperatures reached 46 degrees Celsius.
According to local media, many people were treated for heat-related illnesses during the day, but no official figures have been announced on the total number of cases recorded since the rituals began.
The hajj takes place over at least four days in Mecca and its surroundings, often in the open air.
More than 10,000 cases were recorded last year, according to the authorities. Despite the very high temperatures in one of the hottest regions in the world, the gathering around Mount Arafat, the highlight of the pilgrimage, was held with great fervor.
“This place shows us that we are all equal, that there are no differences between Muslims in the world,” said Amal Mahrouss, a 55-year-old woman from Egypt.
The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. It must be performed by all Muslims at least once in their life if they have the means.
As in 2023, more than 1.8 million faithful took part this year, including 1.6 million from abroad, announced the Saudi authorities.
Feast of Sacrifice
The stoning ritual takes place on the first day of Eid al-Adha, a holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world in memory of the sacrifice that Abraham almost made by wanting to immolate his son, before the angel Gabriel does not offer him at the last minute to kill a sheep in his place, according to tradition.
On this occasion, practitioners slaughter an animal, generally a sheep, and offer part of the meat to the needy.
However, the celebrations are overshadowed this year by the war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas in the Gaza Strip. “We don’t feel Eid because our brothers in Gaza are oppressed under the (Israeli) occupation,” says Najem Nawwar, a 43-year-old Egyptian pilgrim.
Saudi King Salman brought 2,000 Palestinians to the hajj at his own expense, half of whom are family members of Gaza victims who have taken refuge abroad.
The authorities have warned that no political slogans will be tolerated during the hajj.
But that did not prevent many pilgrims from expressing their solidarity with the Palestinians to AFP. “We pray for them (…) and for the liberation of Palestine, so that we have two holidays instead of one,” said Wadih Ali Khalifah, a 32-year-old Saudi.
