MOUNT ARAFAT:
Nearly 2.5 million Muslim hajj pilgrims converged on Mount Arafat in Saudi
Arabia yesterday to atone for their sins and seek God's forgiveness, marshalled
by tens of thousands of stewards in a bid to prevent any repetition of previous
years' deadly stampedes. Movable crowd control barriers were erected all around
the foot of the rocky hill outside Makkah, also known as Jabal Al-Rahma or
Mount of Mercy, where the faithful arrived on foot and in a seemingly endless
line of buses. Raising their palms skywards, the pilgrims set off on the climb
to the summit where they held prayers to atone for their sins in a ritual that
is regarded as the high point of the annual hajj.

"Really, I
am very satisfied," said Lassina Coulibaly, a 47-year-old Malian business
employee. "Fatigue is part of the pilgrimage," added the father of
seven. Clutching brightly colored umbrellas, pilgrims first braved the blazing
sun and then heavy downpours that many welcomed as a blessing. Some burst into
tears as they chanted prayers. Thousands of faithful had spent the night under
the stars, sleeping on prayer rugs or pieces of cardboard.

Trucks were
parked at regular intervals on the route leading up to the hill, distributing
bottles of water and meals. Thousands of workers prepared to clear the rubbish
that littered the ground. Helicopters crisscrossed overhead, part of the tight
security precautions taken by the pilgrimage's Saudi hosts. The hajj is one of
the five pillars of Islam which every Muslim is required to complete at least
once in their lifetime if they are healthy enough and have the means to do so.

HH the Amir of
Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah extended greetings to citizens and
expatriates on the advent of Eid Al-Adha, a statement by the Amiri Diwan said
Friday. The Diwan added HH the Amir extended similar greetings to Arab and
Islamic nations, wishing those countries and Kuwait evermore progress and
prosperity. HH the Amir yesterday exchanged cables of congratulations with Arab
and Muslim leaders on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha. The Amir addressed heartfelt
and sincere greetings to the leaders, wishing all Arab and Muslim countries
perpetual security, stability and prosperity.

"I came last
year during Ramadan, now I am there for the hajj," said Indonesian pilgrim
Zakir Uddin. "It is an honor, praise be to God," added the
27-year-old cook. Like other male pilgrims, he wears a seamless white garment
that covers only one shoulder and emphasizes unity regardless of social status
or nationality. The women wear loose dresses, most of them white, exposing only
their faces and hands. They are designed to help pilgrims enter a state of
purity, called ihram. Uddin, who works in the Saudi city of Jeddah less than 90
km from Makkah, says he is happy to see so many of his compatriots among the
pilgrims. "Indonesians make up the single largest contingent, such is the
will of God," he said.

Once on the hill,
pilgrims sat or lay in whatever space they could find. Many prayed, some cried
and others took selfies or streamed videos to friends and relatives back home.
Zaid Abdullah, a 30-year-old Yemeni who works in a supermarket in Saudi Arabia,
said he was praying for his own country, where war has killed tens of thousands
of people and caused the world's worse humanitarian crisis, and for Muslims
around the globe. "We can tolerate the heat because our sins are greater
than that," he said as he approached the Mount of Mercy. "We ask God
to alleviate the heat of the hereafter. As for the heat of this life, we can
bear it."

Hamood Ismail and
his wife Raghdaa travelled from Syria, through Turkey, while taxi driver Khaled
Maatouq came from Libya. They all said they were seeking an end to the suffering
in their homelands which have been torn apart by conflict. For others, the
pilgrimage is a form of relief. Egyptian merchant Ramadan Al-Jeedi said he was
grateful to accompany his mother after his father died last year. "It's
the greatest feeling, to feel that God the almighty chose us to be in this
place," he said. Nadzmi Maruji Naid from the Philippines said he felt
comfortable but a little nervous about making haj for the first time: "God
willing, everyone here will be accepted by Allah."

Pilgrims
travelling from abroad account for 1.86 million of the 2.48 million taking part
in this year's hajj, according to official figures. Among them are 200
survivors and relatives of victims of the attacks on two New Zealand mosques in
March. After sunset prayers, pilgrims made their way down Mount Arafat to
Muzdalifah, another holy site where they will sleep under the stars to prepare
for the final stage of hajj, a ritual "stoning of the devil". That
marks the beginning of Eid Al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice, marked today.
Sheep are traditionally slaughtered for the three-day event, a tribute to
Prophet Abraham's (PBUH) sacrifice of a lamb after God spared Ismael (PBUH),
his son. Pilgrims then return to the Grand Mosque to perform a final
"tawaf" or walk around the Kaaba.

The scale of the
pilgrimage presents vast security and logistical challenges, with tens of
thousands of safety officers deployed. Riyadh faced strong criticism in 2015
when some 2,300 worshippers were killed in the deadliest stampede in the
gathering's history. This year's hajj takes place to a backdrop of Gulf
tensions following a series of attacks on tankers, the downing of drones and
the seizure of ships. Riyadh blames regional foe Tehran for the attacks on
commercial shipping, accusations Iran vehemently denies.

Despite the
absence of diplomatic ties between the two countries, some 88,550 Iranian
pilgrims were due to take part in the hajj this year according to Iran's Tasnim
news agency. As in previous years, Saudi authorities have been at pains to
stress that the hajj is a religious event and have sought to prevent its
politicization.

Iran's Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei yesterday condemned a US blueprint to end the
conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and called on haj pilgrims to
oppose it. The message was read at a rally held by Iranian pilgrims inside
their compound, according to Iran's state television which showed hundreds of
pilgrims gathered in a tent chanting slogans including "America is Allah's
enemy" in Arabic, and holding signs that read "Death to Israel"
and "Death to America".

Pilgrimage is
also the backbone of a Saudi plan to expand tourism under a drive to diversify
the kingdom's economy away from oil. The haj and year-round umrah generate billions
of dollars in revenue from worshippers' lodging, transport, fees and gifts.
Officials aim to increase the number of umrah and haj pilgrims to 15 million
and 5 million respectively by 2020 and the umrah number to 30 million by 2030.
- Agencies