Pilgrims Pray for End to Pandemic as Hajj Peaks
Voice of America
As the annual Hajj reached its peak, some 60,000 masked and socially distant Muslims gathered Monday at Saudi Arabia’s Mount Arafat to pray and call for a quick end to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the second year, the pilgrimage was limited to Saudi citizens and residents age 18-65 who have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from the virus. Normally, the Hajj draws more than 2 million people. Mount Arafat is believed to be where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his last sermon. "It is an indescribable feeling that I got selected among millions of people to attend the Hajj,” Um Ahmed, a Palestinian pilgrim who lives in Riyadh, said in an interview with Reuters. “I pray for God to put an end to these hard times the whole world has gone through under the coronavirus."British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, left, leader of the Conservative Party, speaks to supporters during his visit to Melksham in southwest England, June 7, 2024. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, left, attends the UK national commemorative event for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, held at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, June 6, 2024.
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A Swiss flag is pictured in front of the Burgenstock Resort where the Summit on Peace in Ukraine will take place June 15 and 16, in Lucerne, Switzerland, May 28, 2024. FILE - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks at a press conference in Beijing, May 30, 2024. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy listens to a question during a press conference after the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue summit at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, June 2, 2024.