Influenza A slows the pilgrimage to Mecca
For weeks the regional media have been filled with full-page
characters that speculate about the dangers that this year involves the two
significant appointments. "A swine flu epidemic is feared among pilgrims
from Mecca," the Gulf News newspaper in the United Arab Emirates said.
The controversy increased when the reputed newspaper Al-Quds
Al-Arabi came to demand that the ritual be suspended. "Mecca receives
millions of pilgrims, shoulder to shoulder, if one carries the virus, it can spread
to tens of thousands," he wrote recently.
This hypothesis constitutes a particularly convoluted
element for the Muslim community because of the symbolism that the Hajj evokes
-that Muslims must perform at least once in their lives-, which has promoted a
dynamic religious debate on the relevance or otherwise of such a measure. Mentioning the historical significance and spiritual reach
of each rite is beyond the scope of this introductory article.
Comments
Post a Comment