An estimated two million Muslims have assembled in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca to begin the rites of the Hajj, according to BBC.
The annual pilgrimage, which takes them to the plain of Mina and the slopes of Mount Arafat, is the biggest annual mass movement of people in the world.
However, this year's Hajj has been overshadowed by the September attacks on the United States and the subsequent war in Afghanistan.
In spite of all the efforts of Muslim leaders to distance themselves from the September 11 terror attacks, many in the West still associate the violence, however dimly, with Islam.
But that has not kept the Muslim faithful from making the journey that is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for every physically able Muslim who can afford it.
In the wake of the September 11 events, Saudi authorities have insisted that they will not tolerate any attempt to exploit the Hajj for political purposes. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
