Posted on 07/15/2021 6:21:33 PM PDT by marshmallow
Saudi Arabia will host another downsized hajj from July 17, with only residents fully vaccinated against the coronavirus permitted and overseas Muslim pilgrims barred for a second year.
The kingdom seeks to repeat last year's success that saw no virus outbreak during the five-day Muslim ritual.
It is allowing 60,000 residents of Saudi Arabia to participate, higher than in 2020 but drastically lower than in normal times. People will begin to arrive on July 17, a day before the start of rites.
In 2019, some 2.5 million Muslims from around the world participated in the annual hajj — a key pillar of Islam that is a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime.
Earlier this month, the hajj ministry said it was working on the "highest levels of health precautions" in light of the pandemic and the emergence of new variants.
Chosen from more than 558,000 applicants through an online vetting system, the event is confined to those who have been fully vaccinated and are aged 18-65 with no chronic illnesses, it said.
The pilgrimage, which typically packs large crowds into congested religious sites, is potentially a super-spreader of the virus.
Aside from strict social distancing measures, the ministry said it will introduce a "smart hajj card" to allow contact-free access to camps, hotels and buses to ferry pilgrims around religious sites.
The card system would also help track down any missing pilgrims, it added.
(Excerpt) Read more at ucanews.com ...
Guess I won’t be going this year either.
Yes we all love walking around a cube and throwing rocks at some pillars. It just gives our life meaning.
Dressed in our nighties.
This is very upsetting...
Two years in a row that I haven’t gotten a chance to participate in hajj...
Going to have to redo the half-life calculations for my two suitcases...
Saudi Arabia to other Muslims: Mecca is for Saudis so stay out.
Get vaccinated to enter a drawing for an extra 36 virgins!
Even though the Hajj itself won’t be a COVID super-spreader event, because of careful Saudi management, the Worldwide celebration afterward (Eid al Adha, second biggest holiday of the Muslim calendar) likely will be in many places.
The Middle East and North Africa already has a significant outbreak of Delta variant, and the holiday travel and gatherings will likely be heavily seeded with it.
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