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MINA, Saudi Arabia, (AFP) - Hundreds of thousands of Muslims carried out the symbolic "Stoning of Satan" on Thursday, the first day of the Islamic feast of the sacrifice, the final rite of the annual hajj pilgrimage. Crying, "God is Greatest," pilgrims of all nationalities crushed together to hurl rocks at three giant pillars representing the devil, near the birthplace of the prophet Mohammed in Mecca. Security officials addressed the throng in several languages over a loudspeaker system, urging them to "move slowly and leave the site when stoning has been accomplished." In 1998 at least 118 pilgrims died and more than 180 were injured in a stampede during the third and last day of the stoning at Mina. The ritual now takes place throughout the day, rather than before midday prayers, to avoid stampedes among the two million pilgrims. The site at Mina is where Abraham, his wife Hagar and their son Ishmael are said to have thrown seven stones each at the devil when he appeared before them. After Wednesday's climax to the pilgrimage on the plain of Arafat, the cortege of men and women moved to Muzdalifah to gather their stones dumped there by trucks. Like Muslims around the world, the pilgrims also slaughter sheep, goats, camels and cattle for the feast of Al-Adha (sacrifice) to mark Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for God. At the last moment, when Abraham had confirmed his
obedience to God, the angel Gabriel brought a ram as a substitute sacrifice. Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz this week opened what was billed as the world's largest slaughterhouse in the Mina valley. The 500,000 square metre (more than five million square foot) Muaissem slaughterhouse cost $125 million. With 10,000 workers, the complex is designed to handle 200,000 animals a day. It was the latest in a series of abattoirs built on an industrial scale by the Saudi authorities over the last decade at a cost of $10 million. Before that, the pilgrims either slaughtered the beasts themselves or hired butchers on the spot to perform the deed, and the plain ran with blood. The sacrifice is not an obligation. Pilgrims may still slaughter animals themselves if they choose, but must do so in a slaughterhouse. The process is considerably simplified by the sale of $100 vouchers at kiosks throughout the holy sites. For that price, pilgrims neither see the slaughter nor eat the meat. The Islamic Development Bank, in cooperation with the Saudi authorities, is paying for the freezing of 500,000 carcasses, which will be distributed among the one billion Muslims worldwide. Muslims are required to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, one
of the five pillars of Islam, at least once in their lifetime, if they have
the means to do so.
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