‘Little Meccas’ prepare Indonesians for hajj
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PONDOK GEDE — Even before arriving in Mecca for this year’s hajj rites Indonesian housewife Irawati has felt the emotion of beholding the Kaaba, the cubic structure in Islam’s holiest city toward which all Muslims face to pray.
Just days before leaving for Mecca the 30-year-old is finishing a mock hajj, part of a three-month training that tens of thousands of Indonesians complete every year in readiness for an annual pilgrimage that draws some two million Muslims from across the globe.
Every year as the hajj grows near, hundreds of little Meccas sprout across Indonesia, from lifelike setups complete with a replica of the Kaaba, to simple arrangements of chairs and tables at hotels or mosques outside the larger cities or towns.
“I feel like I’m in Mecca already,” Irawati said as she beheld the large Kaaba replica at her training site in east Jakarta, her voice breaking and eyes welling with tears..... MORE
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20111104com7.html
1 comment
rule of thumb siguro ito sa lahat ng mass gatherings.
"“When you’re in Mecca, remember not to push and shove or you may get crushed by big-sized Arabs,” warned group leader Sharifah Alawiyah, 59, evoking laughter.
"“I’m serious. Many have died in stampedes there, so don’t rush,” she added."
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