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Revenge of the Pigs Fears for the Hajj Raised thelastcrusade.org. Pigs may get their revenge against Islam.They have been classified as filth (najasa) by shariah (Muslim) law.A Muslim must purify himself of anything made impure by contact with a pig.Swine are considered as vile and disgusting as “non-Muslims at war with Muslims, apostates from Islam, convicted married adulterers, and biting dogs.”Yet more Muslims are likely to die of swine flu this year than the adherrents of any other religion.The mass Islamic infection of the H1N1 virus is expected to occur during the five day hajj that will take place...

BEIJING — China will give swine flu vaccinations to thousands of Muslims about to make the annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, state media said, as authorities reported the mainland's third death from the illness. Concerns over the hajj, which attracts about 3 million Muslims every year to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, have led several countries to impose travel bans over fears the mass gathering could speed the spread of swine flu. Arab health ministers in July banned children, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses from attending this year. All of China's 12,700 Muslims making the pilgrimage...

The global financial crisis has affected the registration of Muslims wishing to travel to Mecca, Saud Arabia, for the annual pilgrimage, the National Hajj Mission has confirmed. According to the Hajj Mission of the Muslim Council of Tanzania (Bakwata), at least 2,500 Muslims would have been allowed to visit the Arabian Gulf nation for the annual pilgrimage this year, but the allocated figure for Tanzania could not be reached due to economic downturn shocks. Speaking to The Citizen over the phone from Zanzibar yesterday, the acting chairman of the Tanzania Hajj Mission, Sheikh Khalid Mohamed, travel agents are worried that...

Swine flu, economic downturn overshadow Ramadan by Paul Handley 1 hr 57 mins ago RIYADH (AFP) – Muslims entered the fasting and feasting month of Ramadan on Saturday with swine flu and the economic downturn adding to the security fears that plague several Islamic countries in dampening the mood. The threat from the A(H1N1) virus prompted a string of governments to bar their citizens from making the pilgrimage to the holy places in Saudi Arabia traditionally made by many Muslims during Ramadan, while financial worries forced many families to cut back on their holiday spending. In the Saudi cities of...

Saudi Arabia may bar Haj pilgrims below six years and above 65 years due to swine flu fears, a media report said Wednesday. Jeddah was yet to convey its decision to the governments across the globe that coordinate the Haj by their Muslim citizens every year, New Age newspaper said. In Bangladesh’s case, the number of pilgrims this year may be slashed by half. “We don’t have any specific information about how many pilgrims will not able to go for Haj if the ban (is) imposed, but the number can come down to half,” said Shahjahan Mia, Bangladesh’s state minister...

The Health Ministry announced Egypt's first swine flu fatality on 19 July. The victim was identified as 28-year-old Samah El-Sayed Salima, recently returned from Saudi Arabia after the omra. Her death came after the Health Ministry had repeatedly advised pilgrims to cancel omra trips. El-Sayed began suffering flu-like symptoms in Mecca. She also had an underlying heart condition. Egypt's first cases of swine flu were confirmed in June among people travelling from the US. Soon cases were being reported among passengers coming from Western countries and from Saudi Arabia after performing omra rituals. The Ministry of Health began to call...

Days after his return from an unannounced pilgrimage to the Islamic holy site of Mecca, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison talked about it as a transformational personal experience, saying "I didn't want to turn it into a politics thing." Nearly eight months later, the Minneapolis DFLer faces a House Ethics Committee review of his decision to keep the trip's costs under wraps -- even though it was paid for by a local Islamic nonprofit and typically would be reported as a gift to a public official. Asked about the trip Tuesday, Ellison said that he is "not privy to the internal...

(CNN) -- Two Hajj pilgrims from Iran have contracted the H1N1 virus, according to reports from the country's official news agency. December 2008: A Saudi policeman directs pilgrims at Mount Arafat, southeast of holy city of Mecca. Iran's official Fars news agency Wednesday reported that a 57-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man who had recently returned from a pilgrimage tested positive for the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu. This brings Iran's tally to three cases. Every year about two million Muslims go on pilgrimage to Mecca -- the holiest place in Islam. As well as the annual Hajj...

Swine flu fears and the global economic crisis are taking their toll on bookings at hotels in the city of Mecca, two months before the start of a minor pilgrimage that attracts up to two million Muslim pilgrims. Umra can be performed any time of the year but most prefer to do it during the last 10 days of the fasting month of Ramadan, which will be around September 10 to 20 this year. The haj season, which falls in November this year, attracts some three million pilgrims. At Ajyad Hotel, favoured for its proximity to the Grand Mosque and...

I noted earlier tonight that all American taxpayers are paying for the Uighurs' indefinite vacation in Bermuda, but that is very much the exception to the rule. Most of us never find anyone willing to pay for our vacations. If you're a Congressman, though, that rule doesn't necessarily apply.We've written several times about Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison's hajj to Mecca, most recently here. A spokesman for Ellison, the first Muslim Congressman, first claimed that he paid for the pilgrimage himself. Later it was reported that the Muslim American Society paid for the trip, which MAS spokesman Mahdi Bray heatedly denied,...

The Muslim religious authorities in Egypt have suggested delaying the annual pilgrimage to Mecca because of the spread of swine flu. Egypt's Grand Mufti, Sheikh Ali Jumua, has called for a religious edict to decide how long the pilgrimage rites of the Hajj could be postponed. At least two million people took part in the last Hajj, which falls this year in November.

JERUSALEM – President Barack Obama's paternal grandmother, Sarah Obama, will reportedly perform the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage this year along with her son Syeed Obama. A private Kenyan television channel, quoted extensively by the Kenyan and Pakistani media, reported Sarah Obama and her son will also visit Dubai before going to Saudi Arabia for performing Hajj. The pair lives in Kenya. The News, a newspaper in Dubai, confirmed the report. It quoted United Arab Emirates' property tycoon Sulaiman Al Fahim as stating he will personally sponsor Sarah Obama's trip after meeting the elderly Obama in Kenya last week and learning she...

JERUSALEM – President Barack Obama's paternal grandmother, Sarah Obama, will reportedly perform the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage this year along with her son Syeed Obama. A private Kenyan television channel, quoted extensively by the Kenyan and Pakistani media, reported Sarah Obama and her son will also visit Dubai before going to Saudi Arabia for performing Hajj. The pair lives in Kenya.

US President Barack Obama’s paternal grandmother, Sara Obama, will perform haj this year along with her son Syed Obama, a private TV channel reported on Saturday. According to the channel, Sara and Syed will also visit Dubai before going to Saudi Arabia for performing haj

China has signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia to build a new railway system linking the main sites of the annual Muslim pilgrimage, the Hajj. ... Saudi Arabia also plans to build a high-speed rail link to take pilgrims from Mecca to Medina, Islam's two holiest cities, in 30 minutes. ... The new network in Saudi Arabia is expected to be ready within three years, with one section of the line due to be completed in time for the 2010 Hajj, officials said. The contract, worth almost $1.8bn (£1.24bn), was awarded to the China Railway Company and a French firm.

CNN likens inauguration to 'hajj' Crowd cited, 'That is the initial definition of a pilgrimage, show up' A special CNN report has likened attendance at President Obama's inauguration to participation in the hajj, the pilgrimage to Islam's holy city Mecca that Muslims are required to make at least once. The CNN report was criticized by the FreedomsLighthouse.com blog. "Just when you think you have heard everything from the liberal media, they best their own record for ludicrous reporting," said the website report about the CNN video. "Here is a CNN report that actually compares the upcoming presidential inauguration to the...

CNN correspondent Zain Verjee, in a report posted on CNN.com on January 17, likened the expected large crowds for the inauguration of Barack Obama to the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca: “The coming political pilgrimage to Washington is similar to another grand event in both size and preparation -- the Hajj, the most important religious pilgrimage in the Muslim world.” Verjee has personal experience of the Hajj, as she belongs to the Ismaili branch of Shiite Islam. She filed a web log for CNN of her experience on the pilgrimage in 2005. During her report, she emphasized how...

Note: Video included. CNN Report Actually Compares Upcoming Inauguration to Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca - Video 1/16/09 Just when you think you have heard everything from the liberal media, they best their own record for ludicrous reporting. Here is a CNN report that actually compares the upcoming Presidential Inauguration to the Muslim Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca! I kid you not!

Barack Obama's inauguration promises to be one of the most important civic events in American history. Millions will make their way to the National Mall. More than 10,000 buses will be chartered. At a website called Inauguration or Bust, people anywhere in the country can find locals to travel with. At the site, the contingent from Savannah, Georgia, refers to its trip as a "pilgrimage". That word, most often associated with religious fervor, is appropriate here. The inauguration buzz is reminiscent of the excitement I have encountered in Muslim countries in the days preceding the hajj. The theological comparison isn't...

Just when you think you have heard everything from the liberal media, they best their own record for ludicrous reporting. Here is a CNN report that actually compares the upcoming Presidential Inauguration to the Muslim Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca! I kid you not! The report never mentions Obama by name, but we did not see any comparisons between President Bush's Inauguration and the Hajj to Mecca. For the mainstream media, who take such pride in helping to get Barack Obama elected with their incredibly biased reporting, perhaps the inauguration of Barack Obama is a religious event, as they put their...

There was no fanfare, no press release when Keith Ellison made the pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca last week. "We weren't really trying to turn this into a political thing," said the Democratic congressman from Minneapolis. "This is just me trying to be the best person I can be." Downplaying his role as the first member of Congress to make the Hajj, as the pilgrimage is known, Ellison called the experience "transformative." "It really didn't have anything to do with me being a congressman," said Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress. Bravo...Sierra...

Alerted by Saudi and other intelligence agencies that al-Qaida planned to launch a bloody assault on Muslim pilgrims taking part in the annual pilgrimage - the Hajj - the Saudi government last week launched a huge counterterrorism operation, one of the largest in recent memory, according to U.S. intelligence officials. Over 3 million Muslims flocked to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage which retraces a route taken by the Prophet Mohammed 14 centuries ago. This year's event began Dec 6 under the nervous eye of Saudi security forces that included 20,000 ground forces, flights of combat helicopters and a large number...

WASHINGTON — Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim member of Congress, made the hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca last week, calling it a "transformative" experience. The Democrat from Minnesota's 5th Congressional District traveled to the Saudi Arabian city along with about 3 million people. The journey is a lifelong dream for many Muslims. "It was transformative. It was a wonderful experience," Ellison said in a telephone interview today. "I learned a lot about myself, about my faith."

Since CNN devoted so much time to covering the Hajj, a number of prominent Muslims -- including known terrorists and jihadists -- have opined that "We are defeating these people [American "evangelicals"] through their homes in their lands." "Terrorists gush over CNN coverage," by Aaron Klein for WorldNetDaily, December 12 (thanks to Doc Washburn): JERUSALEM – CNN's extensive coverage this week of the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca is a defeat for evangelical Christians and proves it is only a question of time before Islam will be "shining all over the world," according to Muslim terrorists in Gaza speaking to...

JERUSALEM – CNN's extensive coverage this week of the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca is a defeat for evangelical Christians and proves it is only a question of time before Islam will be "shining all over the world," according to Muslim terrorists in Gaza speaking to WND. Starting last Saturday and continuing until Wednesday, CNN provided regular coverage of the Hajj, the largest annual pilgrimage in the world. The fifth pillar of Islam requires every able-bodied Muslim to travel to Mecca at least once in their life in a demonstration of solidarity with fellow Muslims and in an act of...

<p>These astonishing images show a vast tent city housing thousands of Muslims in Saudi Arabia for the holy hajj pilgrimage....the Kabaa, Islam's holiest shrine....</p> <p>Later in the day, pilgrims enjoyed a feast of freshly slaughtered sheep, goats and camels at a huge tent city in Mina, a desert valley east of Islam's holiest city, Mecca, where the Kabaa resides....</p>

The pilgrimage that brings more than 2 million Muslims to Mecca every year tends to make them more religiously observant and also more tolerant, a huge study of Pakistani pilgrims suggests. Hamoud al-Massri, of Egypt, says that after this year's hajj, he will read more about people of different cultures. Muslims who undertake the hajj "return with more positive views towards people from other countries," are more likely to say "that people of different religions are equal," and are twice as likely as other religious Muslims to condemn Osama bin Laden, the study found. "People become more orthodox yet more...

You might see a picture of thousands of Muslims throwing rocks at stone pillars and believe that they ran out of 13 year-old-girls or other women to stone to death. But in this case it isn't that they ran out of rape victims to prosecute for adultery but this is an actual rite of the religion of peace. Called Stoning of the Devil the ritual is the most dangerous part of the pilgrimage because On several occasions hundreds of participants have suffocated or been trampled to death in stampedes. Read more about this ritual below

Nearly 3 million pilgrims chanting prayers converged Saturday in a valley just outside the holy city of Mecca at the beginning of the 5-day hajj pilgrimage, a lifelong dream for many Muslims. The pilgrims from about 100 countries left Mecca after completing the first ritual of the hajj by circling the sacred Kaaba stone structure seven times inside the Grand Mosque, which Muslims all over the world face during their five daily prayers. Dressed in white robes, pilgrims piled into and on top of buses on their way to a ritual of prayer and reflection in Mina, 3 miles east...

MECCA, Saudi Arabia -- Draped in white robes to symbolize purity and the equality of mankind under God, nearly 3 million Muslims from all over the world gathered Friday in Mecca, on the eve of the start of the annual hajj pilgrimage. Male pilgrims, wearing two-piece seamless white robes, and women, covered head to foot except for their hands and faces, circled the sacred Kaaba stone structure seven times inside the Grand Mosque, which Muslims face during their five daily prayers. A pillar of the Muslim faith, the hajj is packed with symbolism and ritual aimed at cleansing the soul...

Many US Muslims postpone pilgrimage to Mecca as they grapple with tough economic times DETROIT (AP) -- Zeinab Chami planned to save money from her part-time job and get a little more from her family. But the 24-year-old graduate student ultimately couldn't round up enough to pay for a trip to Mecca. "It's just for some reason a lot tougher this year," said Chami about saving for the hajj, the journey every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it is obligated to take at least once. "Although I could probably take out a loan, bend over backwards to do it, it's...

Saudi Arabia: Asian immigrant forced to clean mosques for 'skipping prayers' Riyadh, 18 Nov. (AKI) - A Saudi civil court has ordered an Asian immigrant to clean mosques next month during this year's Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca after religious police caught him skipping Friday prayers several times, Saudi daily al-Watan reports. The man will have to clean five mosques along the highway into Mecca twice daily for eleven days, the court ruled... Earlier this month, a judge ordered a young man to memorise part of the Koran and 40 sayings of the Prophet Mohammed as a...

As the global war on terror approaches the start of its eighth year, the NYPD says it has never been more prepared - but also warns that the city can never let its guard down. In a two-part series, Daily News reporter Patrice O'Shaughnessy looks at the terror threat in New York - and around the world. Sunday's installment focuses on an NYPD undercover officer who dug deep into the potential terrorists in our midst. A young undercover city detective spent four years in the shadowy world of terrorist wanna-bes - taking part in jihadist discussions and training in parks...

Last December, more than 2 million Muslims from around the world converged on Saudi Arabia to participate in the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to the holy site of Mecca. The Hajjis spent a month performing religious rituals, mingling with Muslims from all walks of life, and, in some cases, taking part in communal chants of "Death to America" led by Islamic extremists. This was understandably unnerving to the 10,000 or so Americans who made the pilgrimage, not to mention those who didn't. Such behavior raised concerns that the Hajj is a breeding ground for anti-Western sentiment—or worse. Then again, the...

The journey to Mecca, formally known as the Hajj, is a dream for Muslims all over the world, who believe they should make the pilgrimage once during their lifetimes. Unfortunately, this dream is not always attainable -- so the Muslim Student Association decided to bring Mecca to Charlottesville.

BAGHDAD – Pilgrims traveling from Iraq to Mecca in the annual observance of the Hajj experienced a peaceful travel period this year with no reported violent incidents. At the conclusion of the Hajj travel period, more than 30,000 Iraqi pilgrims will have traveled to and from Mecca by air and ground. Iraqis traveled through six ports of entry during the annual pilgrimage from Dec. 11 through Jan. 7. The pilgrims traveled by air transportation from Baghdad, Irbil, Mosul and Basra while others moved by ground transportation from Safwan and Ara’r. In preparation for Hajj travel, the Mosul airport reopened after...

Saudi security forces have arrested al Qaeda members suspected of planning to carry out attacks during the current haj pilgrimage, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said on Friday. The television quoted an unnamed security official as saying the suspects aimed to cause "security confusion" during the pilgrimage, in which more than 2.5 million Muslims are taking part. They were arrested in various cities in the kingdom days before the start of the pilgrimage on Monday, the official was quoted as saying. The report did not say how many were being held.

Philosophy of Haj based on global government - Ahmadinejad Greetings, future dhimmis "If we would delete the ultimate objective of establishing a global system from the Haj rituals, the remainder would be deeds devoid of a soul." He said it. From IRNA (thanks to Sr. Soph): IRI President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Wednesday on Al-Adha Eid Day in Saudi Arabia philosophy of Haj can be defined merely through considering Islam's aim at establishment...

Pilgrims pack Mecca ahead of annual haj By Jonathan Wright Fri Dec 14, 10:11 AM ET MECCA, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - About 1 million Muslim pilgrims from across the world packed the mosque and streets around the Kaaba shrine in the holy city of Mecca for the last Friday prayers before the annual haj pilgrimage. Pilgrims trekked to the mosque hours in advance to reserve a space for their prayer mats as close as possible to the Kaaba, a cubic stone structure which Muslims regard as the centre of an ancestral monotheistic cult established by the prophet Ibrahim, known to...

While 2 million to 3 million Muslims made the pilgrimage to Mecca, known as Hajj, this week, more than 1,000 gathered Wednesday morning in Fort Wayne to wish the pilgrims well on their journey home. The prayer gathering, at Indiana Tech’s Schaefer Center gynasmium, marked Eid ul-Adha, an annual celebration of the end of Hajj. The event is one of the largest religious gatherings of the year for the region’s Muslims, according to Ayaz Malik, 50, of Fort Wayne. Members of the area’s three Muslim worship centers attend, he said, and many Muslims travel from about 50 miles outside of...

The Hajj: Terrorism Potential Abounds By Fred Burton and Scott Stewart Courtesy of Strategic Forecasting More than 2 million Muslims from around the world are expected to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj, that annual pilgrimage to Mecca that runs this year Dec. 18-21. Because of the history of violence during the Hajj — some of it extreme — Saudi officials step up security during the period, and last week they concluded what they called the country’s largest-ever anti-terrorism security sweep — an operation that resulted in the arrest of more than 200 suspected al Qaeda militants. Riyadh...

Iranian hajj pilgrims shout "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" Shi'ite pilgrims in Mecca commit the Islamic sin of bid'a -- innovation -- by calling for the destruction of Israel and America at Islam's holiest site.

MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Performing the hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage more ancient than Islam itself, is complicated and confusing even for those well-versed in Islam — so it's particularly intimidating for someone who's hardly religious.As a secular journalist covering this central pillar of Islam, which began Monday, I am determined to go through the rites with an open mind.A major hurdle is learning what to do. Before leaving my hotel in Jiddah for the holy city of Mecca, I took the first required steps. I bathed and put on the special clothes of a woman performing hajj: a...

Bush warns against Syrian interference in Lebanon International Herald Tribune, France - Dec 13, 2007 Perhaps it was al Qaeda-type militants striking in payback for Hajj's role in the army's summer onslaught on fighters based in the Palestinian refugee camp ...

Excerpt - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday left Tehran for Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj, the first Iranian leader to take part in the annual Muslim pilgrimage in the history of the Islamic republic. An AFP photographer present at the airport reported that Ahmadinejad kissed the Koran and read verses from the holy Muslim book before departing. The website of state television said that Ahmadinejad's plane took off for the western Saudi city of Jeddah at around 08:30 am (0500 GMT). "On this journey, as well as carrying out the holy hajj pilgrimage, I will have meetings with officials,"...

MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AFP) - Hundreds of thousands of Muslims from around the world gathered in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, making final preparations for the annual hajj pilgrimage which is a central tenent of Islam. Saudi officials say that more than 1.6 million Muslims from abroad have assembled for the hajj, which begins on Monday, the eighth day of the month of Dhi al-Hajja under the lunar calendar. Hundreds of thousands of Saudi faithful as well as foreigners living in the desert kingdom are also expected to take part. All Muslims are required to make the hajj to Mecca, in...

A Special Bloody Islamic Terror WeekChildren Hurt in Pakistan BombingNew York Times, United States - Dec 10, 2007By DAVID ROHDE ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Dec. 10 — A suicide bomb attack on a military truck carrying schoolchildren outside a Pakistani Air Force base in ...http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/11/world/asia/11pakistan.html?ref=worldIslamists regroup in Somalia; at least 17 killedMSNBC - Dec 13, 2007Dec 11, 2007 Islamic Boimbing in Algeriahttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22245198/Toll in Algeria blast rises to 37Los Angeles TimesThe discovery brings the total killed in Tuesday's terrorist attacks to 37, according to Algeria's Interior Ministry. A group called Al Qaeda in the Islamic ... http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-algiers15dec15,1,1419073.story?coll=la-headlines -worldLos Angeles Times UN toll in...

Mideast: Mao Zedong's dictum that political power grows out of a barrel of a gun has been resurrected in Lebanon. The enemies of freedom and multicultural democracy have struck this besieged country again.The life expectancy of anti-Syrian journalists and political leaders in Lebanon is short, and if you dare to offend Damascus and its terrorist minions or pose a possible threat to its agenda, it's unlikely that you'll die in your sleep of old age. Since 2005, a string of car bombings and assassinations have killed eight prominent anti-Syrian figures. Brig. Gen. Francois Hajj was not overly political. He was...

MOSUL, Iraq, Nov. 30, 2007 – A long-awaited passenger terminal project here that had lagged behind schedule now is complete. Less than three months after Mustafa Yoldah left his company’s office in Turkey and came to Mosul with a new foreman and extra workers, the project was finished. For the first time in 15 years, the Mosul, Iraq, airport is ready for commercial flights, beginning with the mid-December Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Photo by Alda Ottley  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “He made it happen,” said Alda Ottley, project engineer for this facility. The terminal is...

The following link has an audio interview from Radio New Zealand featuring a Kiwi convert named Abdullah to Islam. He is both candid and defensive. My comments on parts of the interview are set in the body of comment below. http://www.radionz.co.nz/nr/programmes/spiritualoutlook 26 August 2007