On Monday, July 27 at 7:30 p.m. GMT:
The Islamic Hajj ritual is expected to begin on July 29, but in the midst of a global pandemic, it will look different than anything the Muslim world has seen before.
Saudi Arabia, home to the holy city of Mecca where the pilgrimage is centered, has said it will allow about 1,000 people to perform a ritual that normally attracts more than two million worshipers. Although this year’s attendees hail from 160 countries, they have been selected from people already living in the kingdom.
Pilgrims will need to be tested for the new coronavirus and quarantined at home before they can travel to Mecca. Once there, they will be tested again and they will be given GPS wristbands for contact tracking. The rituals will be performed with facial masks. Touching or kissing the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam, is prohibited. All pilgrims must also maintain a physical distance of 1.5 meters (five feet) during prayers.
Saudi Arabia is currently experiencing a increase in coronavirus cases and the Hajj reduction is expected deepen your economic depression. In normal times, the pilgrimage is estimated to add $ 12 billion to Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product (GDP) each year. the International Monetary Fund It expects the kingdom’s GDP by 2020 to contract by 6.8 percent, as both the pandemic and falling oil prices take a toll.
In this episode of The currentWe will discuss the effect of this year’s Hajj on Muslims worldwide and the economic implications of the pilgrimage on a reduced scale.
In this episode of The current, they accompany us:
Joseph Lumbard, @JosephLumbard
Professor of Koran Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University and host of the Koran podcast for all seasons
Sheema Khan
Columnist, The Globe & Mail
Shehriar Ashraf, @LabbaikVR
Founder and CEO, Labbaik VR
labbaikvr.com
Read more:
Small-scale Hajj pilgrimage to begin July 29: Saudi officials – Al Jazeera
Hajj 2020: what you need to know about this year’s pilgrimage – Al Jazeera
Source: Al Jazeera
.
