Jamil and Fareedah Abdul-Jabbar from Texas are in Medina, Saudi Arabia, three days before the Hajj. (AP)
Surviving the Hajj Story aired: Thursday, January 29, 2004
Foreign Minister Jack Straw has warned Britain's 20,000 Muslims to think twice before traveling to Mecca this week for the annual pilgrimage known as the Hajj. The Saudi government has added extra security, concerned that Islamic extremists may strike the gathering.
The Hajj is a central duty of Muslims, one of the five pillars of Islam. Over 2 million of the faithful now embark on this journey of a lifetime. They live in congested tent cities and move in a wave of humanity. They pray in lines of devotees a mile long.
Here and Now turns to Murad Kalam, an American who made the Hajj in 2001 and who wrote about his trip in the February issue of Outside magazine.
