Pilgrims Set Out for Sacred Peak

Muslim pilgrims crowded into cars and buses and even clung to the roofs of vehicles as they began an emotional journey Wednesday from the holy city of Mecca to sacred Mt. Arafat.

Chanting, “At thy service, my God, at thy service,” the pilgrims departed Mecca en masse, churning up a column of dust and smog. Traffic jams stretched into the distance.

Worshipers were to spend Wednesday night in the desert city of Mina, which comes to life only during the hajj, or pilgrimage, before beginning the short trek to Mt. Arafat after dawn today.

This year, about 2 million Muslims are performing the pilgrimage. The journey is one of the five pillars of Islam. Every able-bodied Muslim is supposed to perform it at least once in a lifetime if he or she can afford it.

This year’s hajj takes place at a time when many of the world’s 1.2 billion Muslims believe that their faith, established 14 centuries ago, is under assault from the West after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

Saudi-born exile Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda terrorist network are blamed for the attacks, which killed thousands. The attacks sparked the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan after the now-ousted Taliban militia refused to surrender Bin Laden for trial.

Fifteen Saudis were among the 19 suspected hijackers who flew jets into New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon. A fourth plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field.

“A few crazy men give all of us Muslims such a bad name. It will take years for everyone to forget Sept. 11 and the identities of the perpetrators,” said Hasan Ahmed, 49, a bank employee from Egypt.

Because of post-Sept. 11 tensions and the war in Afghanistan, Saudi authorities have taken stringent security measures in Mecca, a city of 500,000 that is closed to non-Muslims. More than 80,000 volunteers, police and soldiers have been deployed.

The hajj peaks today with prayers at Mt. Arafat, a gentle hill 12 miles southwest of Mecca.