{"id":247189,"date":"2016-09-10T12:32:13","date_gmt":"2016-09-10T12:32:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=247189"},"modified":"2016-09-10T12:32:13","modified_gmt":"2016-09-10T12:32:13","slug":"millions-begin-annual-hajj-pilgrimage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2016\/09\/millions-begin-annual-hajj-pilgrimage\/","title":{"rendered":"Millions begin annual Hajj pilgrimage"},"content":{"rendered":"
About 1.5 million Muslims have begun the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, unperturbed by a 2015 stampede which killed more than 2,000 people.<\/p>\n
The pilgrims face new safety measures, including tighter security and ID bracelets, in a bid to prevent a repeat of last year’s disaster.<\/p>\n
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But tens of thousands of Shia Iranians are absent because of long-running tensions with Sunni Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
The pilgrimage is among the largest religious gatherings in the world.<\/p>\n
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Following preliminary rituals at the Grand Mosque in Mecca earlier this week, the pilgrims will on Saturday make their way by bus, train or on foot in soaring temperatures of 40C to Mina, about 5km (three miles) to the east.<\/p>\n