Iran Press/Middle East: One of the five pillars of Islam, the Hajj is required for all Muslims who are physically or financially capable of undertaking it at least once in their lifetime and is usually one of the world's largest religious gatherings.
But this year, only up to 10,000 people already residing in Saudi Arabia will participate in the five-day pilgrimage, a tiny fraction of the 2.5 million pilgrims from around the world that attended last year, Al Jazeera reported.
"There are no security-related concerns in this pilgrimage, but [downsizing] is to protect pilgrims from the danger of the pandemic," said Khalid bin Qarar Al-Harbi, Saudi Arabia's director of public security.
Pilgrims will be required to wear masks and observe physical distancing during a series of religious rites that are completed over five days in the holy city of Mecca and its surroundings in western Saudi Arabia.
Those selected to take part in the Hajj were subject to temperature checks and placed in a short quarantine ahead of the rites beginning on Wednesday.
State media showed health workers sanitizing pilgrims' luggage, and pilgrims reported being given electronic wristbands to allow authorities to monitor their whereabouts.
Workers, armed with brooms and disinfectant, were seen cleaning the area around the Kaaba, the structure at the center of the Grand Mosque draped in gold-embroidered black cloth towards which Muslims around the world pray.
Touching or kissing the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam, is banned this year. All pilgrims must also maintain a physical distance of 1.5 meters (five feet) during prayers.
Hajj authorities reported setting up multiple health facilities, mobile clinics, and ambulances to cater to the pilgrims. The foreign press is barred from this year's Hajj, usually a huge global media event, as the government tightens access to Mecca.
All worshippers had to undergo a coronavirus test before arriving in Mecca and will also have to quarantine after the pilgrimage as the number of cases in the kingdom nears 270,000 - one of the largest outbreaks in the Middle East.
Hajj exercise of power against the arrogant
In a message on the occasion of Hajj on Wednesday, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei underlined that Hajj is an exercise of power against the arrogant who is the center of corruption, oppression, killing the defenseless, and looting, and today the body and soul of the Islamic Ummah are afflicted and oppressed by their oppression and malice.
The Leader stressed that today more than ever this fundamental transformation is at the disposal of the Islamic Ummah and the sympathetic and prudent elite and noted that today the Islamic awakening which means the elites and the Muslim youth must pay attention to their epistemological and spiritual assets, is an undeniable fact.
The Leader stated: "We consider the US presence in the West Asian region to the detriment of the nations of this region and cause of insecurity, destruction, and backwardness of the countries. Regarding the current developments in the United States and its anti-discrimination movement, our firm position is to stand with the people and condemn the cruel behaviors of the racist government."
101/214
Read More:
Leader: Hajj exercise of power against the arrogant
Saudi Arabia to hold 'very limited' Hajj due to Coronavirus pandemic
