IRAQ: HUNDREDS OF IRAQI PILGRIMS CROSS INTO SAUDI ARABIA BOUND FOR ANNUAL HAJ RITUALS AT MECCA

Record ID: 189740

  • Title: IRAQ: HUNDREDS OF IRAQI PILGRIMS CROSS INTO SAUDI ARABIA BOUND FOR ANNUAL HAJ RITUALS AT MECCA
  • Date: 18th January 2004
  • Summary: (W5) ARAR, IRAQ (JANUARY 18-19,2004) (REUTERS) (NIGHTSHOTS) 1. BUS WITH PILGRIMS ARRIVING AT ARAR BORDER 0.09 2. PILGRIMS COMING OUT OF BUS 0.16 3. U.S SOLDIER WATCHING 0.21 4. IRAQI SOLDIERS CHECKING LUGGAGE AND SEARCHING PILGRIMS (2 SHOTS) 0.32 5. U.S SOLDIERS SPEAKING TO ONE PILGRIM 0.38 6. PILGRIM BEING CHECKED OVER WITH SCANNER 0.43 7. MORE OF BAGS BEING SEARCHED 0.50 8. U.S SOLDIER SPEAKING TO PILGRIM IN ARABIC (2 SHOTS) 0.57 9. PILGRIMS WALKING INTO IMMIGRATION OFFICE 1.05 10. CU: ARAR IMMIGRATION OFFICE SIGN 1.11 11. VARIOUS OFFICERS CHECKING PASSPORTS (3 SHOTS) 1.25 12. PEOPLE OUTSIDE OFFICE 1.31 13. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FATIMA ALHOJAYNI, PILGRIM, SAYING: "For three years I was hoping to go on this pilgrimage and this year because of the lottery I have the chance to go on the Haj. I am so delighted." 1.41 14. MAN SERVING WATER TO PILGRIMS 1.46 15. OLD WOMAN WAITING OUTSIDE 1.49 16. WS/SCU: BUS AND WOMEN INSIDE (2 SHOTS) 2.00 17. U.S AND IRAQI ARMY AT CHECKPOINT (2 SHOTS) 2.11 18. LONG VIEW OF BUS CROSSING THE BORDER 2.18 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 2nd February 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ARAR (IRAQI-SAUDI BORDER), IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVAA3G8NOZKGLI9KUPITHD5X5T1I
  • Story Text: Hundreds of Iraqi pilgrims crossed Iraq's western
    border with Saudi Arabia heading to Mecca for the
    annual Haj.


    Hundreds of Iraqi pilgrims crossed into Saudi Arabia
    at nearly midnight on Sunday (January 18) to perform the
    annual Haj rituals in the holy city of Mecca.

    The pilgrims are the first batch of those making the
    1,000-kilometre journey by bus to cross the border to
    Mecca to perform the Haj, one of the five tenets of Islam.

    They are among the nearly 30,000 Iraqis chosen through
    a lottery to go to Mecca this year. Under the former Iraqi
    leader Saddam Hussein's power only those connected to the
    regime or aged over 45 were allowed to make the trip.

    Last month, a nationwide lottery, overseen by members
    of the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, was held to
    choose 30,000 pilgrims
    from hundreds of thousands of hopefuls with the latest
    lists only released on Monday (January 12) and Tuesday
    (January 13). Several
    members and employees of the Iraqi Governing Council are
    among this year's pilgrims.

    This year's organisers have done away with age, sex and
    financial barriers and gave special privileges to the
    relatives of those killed by Saddam' security forces.

    All able-bodied Muslims are required to make the
    journey to Mecca at least once in a lifetime.

    Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iraq
    after Saddam invaded Kuwait in 1990 and a quota set by the
    Organisation of the Islamic Conference, a group of 57
    mostly Muslim nations, permitted Iraq to send no more than
    22,000 pilgrims to Mecca each year.

    Iraqi officials sent a delegation to Riyadh, Saudi
    Arabia, last month, asking Saudi officials to at least
    double the country's quota for Iraqi pilgrims, to 60,000
    people.

    The Saudis eventually agreed to accept 30,000 Iraqis
    for Haj.



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