Hajj in the age of coronavirus is unlike any before
Published 29 Jul,2020 via Bloomberg News Service (Middle East Edition) - Holy water will be consumed from single-use bottles. Pilgrims will get sterilized pebbles to throw at pillars symbolizing the devil. And instead of jostling shoulder to shoulder, worshipers will circle Mecca’s grand mosque with 1.5 meters of space between them.
This year, Islam’s annual hajj pilgrimage — which starts on Wednesday — will be unlike any other.
Saudi Arabia has dramatically downsized the ritual because of the coronavirus pandemic, with authorities testing pilgrims and cutting their numbers from the usual 2 million to around 1,000. As a result, this year’s pilgrims will be among a lucky few, selected through an online vetting system open only to residents of the kingdom.
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Vivian Nereim and Reema Alothman