By SIRAJ WAHAB | ARAB NEWS
Mina, Nov. 7, 2011
Day 4 went without any hassle. It was pretty quiet during the day. Small groups of pilgrims headed to the Jamarat complex, either on foot or via the Makkah Metro, to complete the stoning ritual. It was extremely peaceful. At times one just could not believe that there are nearly 3 million pilgrims here in this city of tents. Since there is no high anxiety and since this Haj has gone pretty smoothly in every way, everyone has begun to optimistically look forward to an early departure from Mina on Tuesday.
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The pilgrims went into Haj as one sea of white but now on Day 4 their national and ethnic differences are appearing. The different areas of Mina are divided by regions. Africans, South Asians, Indonesians and Europeans are all grouped in specific areas for example. Walking through the tents, the odors of different foods waft through the air and one can instantly determine which nationalities are housed in that area. Most people are now wearing their native dresses, so it is amusing to see how the fashions change from one area to the next even though the tents remain basically the same. Many pilgrims are seated in any small public space near their tents selling small goods from their native lands. The nature of these items change too as one moves through the different ethnic areas.
Categories: Asia, ISLAM, Saudi Arabia