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CNN Live Today

Muslim Pilgrimage

Aired February 10, 2003 - 10:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Muslims from around the world are participating in the annual pilgrimage to Mecca known as the Hajj. It is a major religious event for them. All able-bodied Muslims are required to make the pilgrimage at least once in a lifetime.
Our Hala Gorani is standing by now in Saudi Arabia, and she is covering the Hajj, and joins us now by way of videophone.

Hello, Hala.

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.

Well, the sun is setting on Arafat (ph). Arafat (ph) is about 20 kilometers away from Mecca. It's one of the spots on the ritual pilgrimage. As you said there, this pilgrimage is required of all Muslims who are able bodied and can afford to actually perform this pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, and it's one of the five pillars of Islam.

What's going on right now, and it's a beautiful scene, as you can see, some of the pictures, millions of pilgrims,packing the streets of Arafat. Arafat is the place where the Prophet Mohammed delivered his last sermon 14 centuries ago, and it's also a place where the faithful believes God comes closer to the Earth to listen to the prayers for forgiveness for the sins of the pilgrims who are performing this Hajj.

Now what happens next is that the Pilgrims head off to Musliwifa (ph). That's behind me. They pick up a petal, a series of petals. Then they go on to Minna (ph), a little closer to Mecca, and that's where they perform the ritual of the stoning of the devil in Minna (ph). After that, they go on to Mecca, then spend a few days back in Minna (ph), and that's the end of the official part of the Hajj -- Leon.

HARRIS: Hala, you know, for those who may really not understand what you're seeing, those who are not Muslim, may not really grasp the enormity of this. From what I understand and what I've read, this is like the largest gathering of human beings in one spot at anytime ever in the history of the Earth, correct?

GORANI: Well, I don't know if it's at any time in history, but here's an element of comparison. Almost three million people come to Mecca every year for the Hajj. That's the population of Houston in Texas, in one single place. These people do not live in Mecca. They come from outside of Saudi Arabia, from the four corners of the glow. Every continent is represented, and they have about a million local Saudi Arabia local pilgrims. Yes, in terms of scale, it is impressive, and to say the least, impressive is an understatement. You have to see it to believe it.

To see three million people walking in the same direction or praying at the same time, it is, as you say, one of the most amazing and probably large gatherings of human beings on Earth, and it's quite something to see, and the pictures that you can see do sort of represent it accurately, but I think you have to see it to believe it -- Leon.

HARRIS: All that's what we'll be seeing. What I want to know is what is it that you are hearing? Have you had a chance to talk to people there to see what's on their minds, particularly as we're talking here in the media so much about gearing up for war.

GORANI: Indeed, we actually spoke to dozens, I would say if not hundreds of pilgrims, and it doesn't take much convincing to get them to talk about what they perceive as a U.S. foreign policy that applies double standards around the world. Unanimously, all the people we've spoken to condemn a potential U.S. attack against Iraq, and many of them say it's not the business of the West to meddle, if you will, in the affairs of Iraq or any Arab nation in the Middle East.

So it's a pretty blanket condemnation of what the U.S. is supporting with regards to the Iraq situation. They say, if you attack Iraq, in essence, you attack a Muslim country; if you attack a Muslim country, you attack, therefore, my Muslim brothers and sisters. That's what we've been hearing from pilgrims here -- Leon.

HARRIS: All right, Hala Gorani, thank you very much. We appreciate the primer this morning and the education there, and the great pictures. Take care.

Hala Gorani, reporting live there from the Hajj in Mecca.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired February 10, 2003 - 10:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Muslims from around the world are participating in the annual pilgrimage to Mecca known as the Hajj. It is a major religious event for them. All able-bodied Muslims are required to make the pilgrimage at least once in a lifetime.
Our Hala Gorani is standing by now in Saudi Arabia, and she is covering the Hajj, and joins us now by way of videophone.

Hello, Hala.

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.

Well, the sun is setting on Arafat (ph). Arafat (ph) is about 20 kilometers away from Mecca. It's one of the spots on the ritual pilgrimage. As you said there, this pilgrimage is required of all Muslims who are able bodied and can afford to actually perform this pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, and it's one of the five pillars of Islam.

What's going on right now, and it's a beautiful scene, as you can see, some of the pictures, millions of pilgrims,packing the streets of Arafat. Arafat is the place where the Prophet Mohammed delivered his last sermon 14 centuries ago, and it's also a place where the faithful believes God comes closer to the Earth to listen to the prayers for forgiveness for the sins of the pilgrims who are performing this Hajj.

Now what happens next is that the Pilgrims head off to Musliwifa (ph). That's behind me. They pick up a petal, a series of petals. Then they go on to Minna (ph), a little closer to Mecca, and that's where they perform the ritual of the stoning of the devil in Minna (ph). After that, they go on to Mecca, then spend a few days back in Minna (ph), and that's the end of the official part of the Hajj -- Leon.

HARRIS: Hala, you know, for those who may really not understand what you're seeing, those who are not Muslim, may not really grasp the enormity of this. From what I understand and what I've read, this is like the largest gathering of human beings in one spot at anytime ever in the history of the Earth, correct?

GORANI: Well, I don't know if it's at any time in history, but here's an element of comparison. Almost three million people come to Mecca every year for the Hajj. That's the population of Houston in Texas, in one single place. These people do not live in Mecca. They come from outside of Saudi Arabia, from the four corners of the glow. Every continent is represented, and they have about a million local Saudi Arabia local pilgrims. Yes, in terms of scale, it is impressive, and to say the least, impressive is an understatement. You have to see it to believe it.

To see three million people walking in the same direction or praying at the same time, it is, as you say, one of the most amazing and probably large gatherings of human beings on Earth, and it's quite something to see, and the pictures that you can see do sort of represent it accurately, but I think you have to see it to believe it -- Leon.

HARRIS: All that's what we'll be seeing. What I want to know is what is it that you are hearing? Have you had a chance to talk to people there to see what's on their minds, particularly as we're talking here in the media so much about gearing up for war.

GORANI: Indeed, we actually spoke to dozens, I would say if not hundreds of pilgrims, and it doesn't take much convincing to get them to talk about what they perceive as a U.S. foreign policy that applies double standards around the world. Unanimously, all the people we've spoken to condemn a potential U.S. attack against Iraq, and many of them say it's not the business of the West to meddle, if you will, in the affairs of Iraq or any Arab nation in the Middle East.

So it's a pretty blanket condemnation of what the U.S. is supporting with regards to the Iraq situation. They say, if you attack Iraq, in essence, you attack a Muslim country; if you attack a Muslim country, you attack, therefore, my Muslim brothers and sisters. That's what we've been hearing from pilgrims here -- Leon.

HARRIS: All right, Hala Gorani, thank you very much. We appreciate the primer this morning and the education there, and the great pictures. Take care.

Hala Gorani, reporting live there from the Hajj in Mecca.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com