In pictures: Muslim pilgrimage or Hajj

Subject: In pictures: Muslim pilgrimage or Hajj Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:28 pm

More than two million Muslims from around the
globe have gathered around Mount Arafat near
Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the high point of their
annual pilgrimage.

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The day-long station at Arafat symbolises
Muslims' wait for the day of judgement.
They spend the day praying.

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Male pilgrims wear a simple uniform of seamless,
two-piece, white garments called the Ihram,
which also signify their state of purity.

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The pilgrims make a sea of white as they stream
in their thousands onto the plain of Arafat.

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For many, the pilgrimage is the fulfilment of a
life-long ambition. All Muslims capable of making
the journey are duty-bound to do so.

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One of the VIPs invited by the Saudi government
this year is the controversial Iranian President,
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on his first pilgrimage.

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