In Mecca’s sweltering heat, Muslims start this year’s Hajj pilgrimage

By SAMY MAGDY
Associated Press

MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslim pilgrims have converged on a vast tent camp in the desert near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, officially beginning the annual Hajj. Saudi officials say more than 1.5 million foreign pilgrims have arrived in Mecca so far. They expect the number to exceed participation last year, when more than 1.8 million people performed Hajj. This year’s Hajj comes with the backdrop of the war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, which pushed the entire Middle East to the brink of regional conflict. After their stay in the desert camp, the pilgrims will move for a daylong vigil on Mount Arafat, a hill where the Prophet Muhammad is said to have delivered his final speech.