MAKKAH, 30 December 2006 — Consider it the “drive-thru window” of the Haj for Muslims on the go. According to various Haj tour operators, known as tawafa organizations, a new Haj Express service is increasingly popular for busy, blue-collar Muslims with limited vacation time to fulfill their duty to God. Haj Express offers five-day packages, which offers a quick in-and-out option for those that don’t have a couple of weeks to spare looking at historical sites and buying Islamic kitsch as gifts for friends back home. Yasin Mahmoud, an Egyptian Haj operator, said the new service has been popular with...
