Over 2 million pilgrims from around world converge on Mina as Hajj officially begins

News Network
June 26, 2023

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Mina, June 26: Around two million pilgrims, who came from all corners of the globe, converged on the tent city of Mina on Monday, the Day of Tarwiyah, marking the beginning of the annual pilgrimage of Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam.

The 5-6day Hajj, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, has returned to full capacity this year for the first time since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic three years ago. The pilgrims commenced their rituals in an unrestricted spiritual ambiance after lifting of all the pandemic related restrictions and preventive protocols.

Those pilgrims who arrived in Makkah on Sunday performed Tawaf Al-Qudum (Tawaf of Arrival), one of the obligatory rituals of Hajj, before heading for the vast sprawling tent city of Mina. Those pilgrims, who had arrived in Makkah earlier, were engaged in making final preparations before moving into the tent city on Sunday evening as they were not required to perform Tawaf Al-Qudum before setting out to Mina, to commence the lifetime spiritual journey.

As the night wore on Sunday, all roads and highways leading into the vast plains of Mina, located five km east of the Grand Mosque, were filled with pilgrims, who made their way by vehicles or by foot to the holy site where they will camp in one of the largest tent cities in the world on Monday.

Retracing the noble tradition of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the pilgrims will spend throughout the day and night on Monday, which is known as the Tarwiyah Day, in Mina. On the first day of Haj rituals, they will engage in supplications and making final preparations for the Standing (wuqoof) at Arafat, the most important pillar of Haj, marking the climax of the annual pilgrimage, on Tuesday.

This year’s Hajj will be the biggest since 2019, when about 2.5 million pilgrims took part. Only 10,000 were allowed in 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, rising to nearly 59,000 in 2021. Last year, less than one million pilgrims performed the pilgrimage. The total number of pilgrims who performed Hajj in 2022 stood at 926,000 and these included 781,000 foreign pilgrims.

More than 1.65 million pilgrims from outside the Kingdom have arrived to perform Hajj this year and they were joined by hundreds of thousands of domestic pilgrims whose exact figures are yet to be made known. The General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) announced, in a statement on Monday, that 1,655,188 pilgrims came for the current Hajj through all Saudi air, land and sea ports, until the end of Saturday, Dhu al-Hijjah 6 (June 24).

Among them, there are 4,951 pilgrims of 90 nationalities who came to perform Hajj as the guests of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. These include 2,000 pilgrims from the Saudi and Yemeni families of those who martyred in the Decisive Storm military operation in Yemen. Another 1000 pilgrims, who belong to family members of the Palestinian martyrs and prisoners and wounded Palestinians, arrived to perform Hajj at the expense of the King.

Foolproof security arrangements

The Saudi authorities and Hajj missions of various countries have completed elaborate preparations and foolproof arrangements that enabled the pilgrims to complete their smooth movement to the tent city of Mina. Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif inspected the readiness of the Hajj security forces. He watched the parade of the security forces participating in this year’s Hajj operation in Makkah.

The parade witnessed security drills that showed the proficiency and skills of the security forces apart from the display of special vehicles and armored vehicles, and security aircraft and copters taking part in the Hajj operation. Minister of the National Guard Prince Abdullah bin Bandar also witnessed the parade of the National Guard forces during which he inspected the readiness of the forces participating in the Hajj security missions.

Ministry of Health warns pilgrims against sunstroke

The Ministry of Health has issued an alert to the pilgrims against heat exhaustion, as this year’s Hajj season witnesses a rise in temperatures, which poses a threat to the health of the pilgrims.

The ministry’s health workers will be on hand to help fend off heatstroke, dehydration and exhaustion in the heat of the summer that recorded temperatures of more than 43 degree Celsius.

The ministry affirmed that the use of an umbrella, drinking plenty of fluids, avoiding exhaustion, and following health instructions and proper behaviors, would protect pilgrims from sunstroke and heat exhaustion. The ministry has allocated 217 beds to receive cases of heatstroke, including 166 beds in the hospitals of the holy sites, and 51 beds in Makkah, while the ministry has provided a large number of water mist fans at the holy sites.

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News Network
October 31,2024

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday alleged that BJP was raking up the "Waqf issue" with an eye on the upcoming assembly by-polls in the state and elections in neighboring Maharashtra.

Following allegations by a section of farmers in certain parts of the state that their lands were marked as Waqf properties, he reiterated that none of them will be evicted, and notices issued to them will be withdrawn.

"BJP is doing politics. Notices were issued during their (BJP) tenure too, what do they have to say about it? During BJP's tenure over 200 notices were given. One should not practice such dual politics," Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters here, the CM said, "I have already said that the notices will be withdrawn, where is the issue? In case the notices are issued they will be withdrawn and no one will be evicted, where is the issue?" "Whichever district it is...They (BJP) had also given notices in several districts. Why did they give? Why are they doing such politics? In case notices were served by our government, they will be withdrawn and no farmers will not be evicted....the protest they have planned on November 4 is for politics keeping in mind by-polls in three segments and Maharashtra elections," he added.

A section of farmers from Vijayapura district have alleged that their lands were marked as Waqf properties, and similar allegations have surfaced from a few other places.

The BJP is planning a statewide agitation on November 4, demanding the resignation of Minority Welfare and Waqf Minister B Z Zameer Ahamed Khan, and against the Congress government over the issue.

Accusing the BJP of only doing politics and and not speaking the truth, Siddaramaiah said, "they only speak lies, they make issue out of non issue. Is there any issue in MUDA (site allotment case, in which he is accused and facing probe)? They wanted to make a non issue, an issue." Channapatna, Shiggaon and Sandur Assembly segments will go for by-polls on November 13.

The CM said he will go for campaigning in three assembly segments that will go for bypolls, from November 4 to 11.

He expressed confidence about Congress winning all the three segments.

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News Network
October 29,2024

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At least 60 people, including children, have been killed in Israeli strikes on several areas in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley, the Lebanese Health Ministry says.

The ministry said at least 58 people were also wounded in the attacks on 12 areas in the Bekaa Valley on Monday.

Of the 60 killed, at least 16 deaths were recorded in al-Alaq, west of Baalbek city, the ministry added.

The casualty figures were preliminary and are expected to rise as rescue efforts were still ongoing, according to to the ministry.

Baalbek governor Bachir Khodr denounced the attacks on the area as the "most violent" since the start of the Israeli aggression.

Israel has been targeting Lebanon since October 2023, when it launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah has been responding to the aggression with numerous retaliatory operations, including one with a hypersonic ballistic missile, targeting the occupied Palestinian territories.

Since late September, Israel has escalated its strikes against Hezbollah, killing its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and a number of its senior figures.

At least 2,710 people have been killed by Israeli fire, and 12,592 others wounded since the clashes began last year, the health ministry says.

The Lebanese resistance movement has vowed to keep up its operations against Israel as long as the Israeli regime continues its Gaza war, which has so far killed at least 43,020 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

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News Network
November 12,2024

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The UN humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon has warned that the “picture of life in Lebanon remains grim,” highlighting an "alarming" level of human suffering and significant humanitarian consequences due to the ongoing Israeli carnage.

Imran Riza, the UN Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), provided a stark overview of the Arab country's dire circumstances in a statement released on Monday.

“The current picture of life in Lebanon remains grim. Yesterday, airstrikes reportedly killed 23 people, including seven children, in the village of Aalmat in Mount Lebanon,” Riza said on X.

An airstrike in the city of Tyre on the same day resulted in the tragic deaths of five siblings from a single family, all of whom had special needs, according to his statement.

He added that in the last week, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 241 individuals and left 642 others injured in Lebanon, as reported by the Ministry of Health.

“In the past month, more than 185,000 people have fled their homes in their search for safety within the country, bringing the total to over 870,000 people internally displaced,” Riza said

The UN official highlighted that numerous individuals, including the elderly and those with health issues, are staying behind while witnessing the ruins of their ancestral homes.

He urged for the swift safeguarding of civilian people and infrastructure, emphasizing the necessity to uphold international humanitarian law and end the ongoing violence.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israeli forces bombed a house in the town of Maydoun in Bekaa on Monday night, killing three people and destroying the house.

Earlier, Israel bombed the northern town of Ain Yaaqoub, killing at least 14 people.

The killings came as Israeli military continued to pound Lebanon, bombing shops selling electrical appliances in the southern city of Tyre and carrying out air raids on the towns of Shamshtar in eastern Baalbek and Roumine in southern Nabatieh.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said Israeli attacks killed at least 54 people across the country on Monday.

Israel’s merciless attacks continue despite calls from the UN Security Council for an immediate ceasefire and directives from the International Court of Justice urging measures to prevent genocide and alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and Lebanon.

In Lebanon, at least 3,243 people have been killed and 14,134 others wounded in Israeli attacks since the war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023.

The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah opened a support front for Palestinians in Gaza only a day after the Israeli regime unleashed its genocidal war on the besieged territory.

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