Muslim pilgrims prepare for peak of haj east of Mecca
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ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia  - Tens of thousands of Muslim pilgrims reached the plain of Arafat east of Mecca on Monday, the vanguard of a throng expected to peak at more than 2 million people by Tuesday, the climax of the haj pilgrimage.
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The Interior Ministry has mobilized more than 50,000 forces to prepare for the annual hajj pilgrimage, officials said Saturday, but they warned that terrorists may still be able to launch attacks.
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The first batch of Indian Kashmiri Muslims left for the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, saying they would pray for friendship between India and Pakistan and peace in their troubled region.
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Bosnia Herzegovina has formed an organisation with a function similar to that of the Pilgrims Fund Board (Tabung Haji) to handle its 2,000-odd haj pilgrims to Mecca this year.
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The scene at Kathmandu&#39;s Jama Masjid that would wear a festive look and throng with the faithful during Friday prayers has changed.
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RAFAH, Gaza Strip  - Hamas Islamists called on Egypt on Saturday to open its shuttered border crossing with the Gaza Strip to let more than 2,000 Palestinians return to their Gaza homes from the annual haj pilgrimage in Mecca.
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Saudi Arabia says it is ready to host more than two million pilgrims at this year's haj after tightening security and safety to ensure the annual Muslim rite passes without incident.
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ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia  - Muslim pilgrims poured on to the plain of Arafat east of Mecca on Tuesday as the sun rose over the rocky hills for the day marking the climax of the annual haj pilgrimage.
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ZANZIBAR, Tanzania  - It's the eve of Ramadan, the  holy month for Muslims, but Hamedi says he will not set foot in  a mosque for the whole fasting period, or at any other time for  that matter.
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MECCA, Saudi Arabia  - As the annual pilgrimage opens in the Muslim holy city of Mecca on Monday, few first-time pilgrims say they are entirely free of anxiety and confusion about the rituals they must perform.
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NAJAF, Iraq  - Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric was due  to travel to Najaf on Thursday after making a surprise return  to the country to try to end bitter fighting creeping ever  closer to the city's holiest shrine.
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Millions of Muslims in Mecca for the Hajj can stay connected thanks to free Wi-Fi covering much of the city.
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Pilgrims should stock up on sunblock and shoes before starting the five-day haj pilgrimage this month, a British Muslim doctor said on Friday.
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MECCA, Saudi Arabia  - Muslim pilgrims performed  final rites of the haj on Saturday, with many praising its  safety following fears of stampedes or al Qaeda strikes.
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PREPARATIONS are in full swing for Bahrain&#39;s Haj medical delegation&#39;s mission in Mecca and Medina, which is set to begin on January 4. About 14,000 to 15,000 people from Bahrain are expected
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By Rozana Sani  HERE we are again in the Ramadhan month.  Starting from today, all Malaysians, particularly those in the Klang Valley, should be prepared for daily traffic jams that will grow in magnitude as your fellow Muslims dash home to break fast.
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Iraqi political and religious leaders  prepared to go to the holy city of Najaf on Tuesday in a  last-ditch bid to persuade a radical Shi'ite cleric to end a  rebellion that has killed hundreds and rattled oil markets.