Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Saturday
Muslim Pilgrimage Reaches Peak Today
Aired January 31, 2004 - 18:42 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.
LIN: As we've been reporting, in Saudi Arabia the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca or the Hajj reached its peak today amid tight police security.
CNN's Rym Brahimi joins us now by videophone live from Mecca -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN: Carol well today was the second day and it was the most important day of the annual Muslim pilgrimage.
Today when these pilgrims go to the plain of Arafat and its known as the day of standing because the pilgrims go they stand there they pray for God's forgiveness.
The plain of Arafat is beneath the scene where Adam met Eve after they were both expelled from Paradise. This is where they met and this is where they both prayed, asked for God's forgiveness and were forgiven.
And so there's very, very high hope if you will from pilgrims from around the world this is really where they -- why they come -- from everywhere in the world and from far away at times because the hope is they believe they will be forgiven for their sins and right here start a new clean slate and there reborn.
LIN: Rym we understand also that the news was made by a major sheik a religious leader about Muslims who support terrorism -- a warning to them. Do you know much about this?
BRAHIMI: It was an interesting speech, Carol, especially as the preacher if you will (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Saudi Arabia is an interesting very famous character, very well known here in Saudi Arabia and as you know everything that is said here in Saudi Arabia which is very much considered to be the heart of the Muslim world reverberates and has echoes in the rest of the Islamic world.
Now the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) actually called on Muslims to be warned against acts that are not Muslim acts but that they might be pulled into committing as such.
For instance, he said asking the question, would you think as Muslims to kill another Muslim, stay away from such acts, would you think as Muslims to kill a third person. No Muslim has even (UNINTELLIGIBLE) who is Muslim learned as a result of an agreement -- an agreement being according to some people I spoke to a possible visa so therefore (UNINTELLIGIBLE) should not be something victims of killings either.
On the other hand, he would not tolerate the accusations against the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) which is the dominant sect of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) has been accused of being behind a lot of the terrorist attacks if you will -- Carol.
LIN: Alright, thank you very much Rym Brahimi for reporting live to us 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 January 31, 2004 - 18:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LIN: As we've been reporting, in Saudi Arabia the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca or the Hajj reached its peak today amid tight police security.
CNN's Rym Brahimi joins us now by videophone live from Mecca -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN: Carol well today was the second day and it was the most important day of the annual Muslim pilgrimage.
Today when these pilgrims go to the plain of Arafat and its known as the day of standing because the pilgrims go they stand there they pray for God's forgiveness.
The plain of Arafat is beneath the scene where Adam met Eve after they were both expelled from Paradise. This is where they met and this is where they both prayed, asked for God's forgiveness and were forgiven.
And so there's very, very high hope if you will from pilgrims from around the world this is really where they -- why they come -- from everywhere in the world and from far away at times because the hope is they believe they will be forgiven for their sins and right here start a new clean slate and there reborn.
LIN: Rym we understand also that the news was made by a major sheik a religious leader about Muslims who support terrorism -- a warning to them. Do you know much about this?
BRAHIMI: It was an interesting speech, Carol, especially as the preacher if you will (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Saudi Arabia is an interesting very famous character, very well known here in Saudi Arabia and as you know everything that is said here in Saudi Arabia which is very much considered to be the heart of the Muslim world reverberates and has echoes in the rest of the Islamic world.
Now the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) actually called on Muslims to be warned against acts that are not Muslim acts but that they might be pulled into committing as such.
For instance, he said asking the question, would you think as Muslims to kill another Muslim, stay away from such acts, would you think as Muslims to kill a third person. No Muslim has even (UNINTELLIGIBLE) who is Muslim learned as a result of an agreement -- an agreement being according to some people I spoke to a possible visa so therefore (UNINTELLIGIBLE) should not be something victims of killings either.
On the other hand, he would not tolerate the accusations against the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) which is the dominant sect of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) has been accused of being behind a lot of the terrorist attacks if you will -- Carol.
LIN: Alright, thank you very much Rym Brahimi for reporting live to us 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
