A Different Hajj amid the Virus
2020-07-30
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1Muslim pilgrims, wearing face coverings and moving in small groups, began circling Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
2During the hajj, the white floors that surround it usually have hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the world.
3But this year is different. Only a small number of pilgrims - as few as 1,000 - could take part.
4Ammar Khaled is a 29-year-old Indian pilgrim who was born and raised in Saudi Arabia.
5He said that although he is alone on the hajj, he is praying for those he loves.
6"Words aren't enough to explain how blessed I feel and how amazing the arrangements have been," Khaled said.
7Amr Al-Maddah is the chief planning officer at the Ministry of Hajj.
8He said, "We are taking every step possible to make sure that this hajj will end with zero cases of COVID-19 and also with zero deaths in our total hajj numbers."
9Before pilgrims could even enter Mecca, they were tested for the virus, required to self-isolate in hotel rooms, and have their temperatures checked.
10Each pilgrim is in a group with about 20 others.
11A group leader will guide them throughout the hajj.
12This will help limit any crowding in places like the Grand Mosque, which houses the Kaaba.
13While on Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad is said to have delivered his final sermon nearly 1,400 years ago, the pilgrims wear identity cards that connect to their phones.
14The card stores the pilgrims' personal information, health data, and other hajj-related details.
15It permits the Saudi government to easily monitor the pilgrims.
16It also gives pilgrims a way to contact their group leader and make special meal requests.
17Pilgrims were also given special clothes to wear during the hajj.
18The clothes contain silver that helps kill bacteria.
19They were also provided with prayer rugs, umbrellas, towels, soaps, sanitizers and other necessities.
20This year marks the first time in many years that people from outside Saudi Arabia do not take part in the five-day hajj.
21Al-Maddah said permitting people to enter Saudi Arabia from abroad would have created possible health risks.
22This year, two-thirds of pilgrims are foreigners already living in Saudi Arabia.
23These foreigners come from among the 160 different nationalities that would have normally been on the hajj.
24The other one-third are Saudi security and medical officials.
25All have to be between the ages of 20 and 50 and have no serious illnesses.
26"For us, safety comes first," al-Maddah said.
27"We are employing technology to make sure that these services and these precautions are met and delivered in the highest standard."
28I'm John Russell.
1Muslim pilgrims, wearing face coverings and moving in small groups, began circling Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. 2During the hajj, the white floors that surround it usually have hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the world. But this year is different. Only a small number of pilgrims - as few as 1,000 - could take part. 3Ammar Khaled is a 29-year-old Indian pilgrim who was born and raised in Saudi Arabia. He said that although he is alone on the hajj, he is praying for those he loves. 4"Words aren't enough to explain how blessed I feel and how amazing the arrangements have been," Khaled said. 5Amr Al-Maddah is the chief planning officer at the Ministry of Hajj. He said, "We are taking every step possible to make sure that this hajj will end with zero cases of COVID-19 and also with zero deaths in our total hajj numbers." 6Before pilgrims could even enter Mecca, they were tested for the virus, required to self-isolate in hotel rooms, and have their temperatures checked. Each pilgrim is in a group with about 20 others. A group leader will guide them throughout the hajj. This will help limit any crowding in places like the Grand Mosque, which houses the Kaaba. 7While on Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad is said to have delivered his final sermon nearly 1,400 years ago, the pilgrims wear identity cards that connect to their phones. 8The card stores the pilgrims' personal information, health data, and other hajj-related details. It permits the Saudi government to easily monitor the pilgrims. It also gives pilgrims a way to contact their group leader and make special meal requests. 9Pilgrims were also given special clothes to wear during the hajj. The clothes contain silver that helps kill bacteria. They were also provided with prayer rugs, umbrellas, towels, soaps, sanitizers and other necessities. 10This year marks the first time in many years that people from outside Saudi Arabia do not take part in the five-day hajj. Al-Maddah said permitting people to enter Saudi Arabia from abroad would have created possible health risks. 11This year, two-thirds of pilgrims are foreigners already living in Saudi Arabia. These foreigners come from among the 160 different nationalities that would have normally been on the hajj. The other one-third are Saudi security and medical officials. All have to be between the ages of 20 and 50 and have no serious illnesses. 12"For us, safety comes first," al-Maddah said. "We are employing technology to make sure that these services and these precautions are met and delivered in the highest standard." 13I'm John Russell. 14Aya Batrawy reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted the report for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. 15________________________________________________________________ 16Words in This Story 17pilgrim - n. someone who travels to a holy place 18hajj - n. a journey to Mecca that is a religious duty for Muslims 19blessed - adj. having a sacred nature : connected with God; very welcome, pleasant, or appreciated 20amazing -- adj. causing great surprise or wonder : causing amazement 21arrangement -- n. the way that things or people are organized for a particular purpose or activity : the way that things or people are arranged 22monitor - v. to watch, observe, listen to, or check (something) for a special purpose over a period of time 23sermon - n. a speech about a moral or religious subject that is usually given by a religious leader 24foreigner - n. a person who is from a country that is not your own 25precaution - n. something that is done to prevent possible harm or trouble from happening in the future