MECCA, Saudi Arabia –
Saudi authorities say nearly 2.5 million Muslims have gathered in this holy city ahead of the annual five-day hajj pilgrimage, seeking forgiveness for their sins and meditating on their faith.
This year’s hajj takes place amid an unprecedented wave of anti-government protests in the Arab world that have so far toppled autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.
Autocratic rulers in Yemen and Syria are trying to put down uprisings, while Bahrain’s Sunni monarchy is wrestling with a Shiite majority pressing for reform.
Many Muslims from around the world wait a lifetime for a chance to make the spiritual journey in the footsteps of the Prophet Mohammed and Abraham, whom Muslims view as a forefather of Islam.
The hajj starts Saturday.
