Politics: Religion: Stoning the Devil / Saddam on the Hajj pilgrimage in Mina, Saudia Arabia
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Associated Press via Jerusalem Post, "Hajj pilgrims symbolicly stone the devil, Saddam" (Dec30,2k6)
Mina, Saudi Arabia--Huge crowds of Muslims hurled pebbles at stone walls representing the devil in a purging ritual of the hajj pilgrimage Saturday, as Saudi Arabia criticized Iraq for executing Saddam Hussein during the holy rites.At the same time, the Iranian hajjis are politicizing the pilgrimage to their own ends.
News of Saddam's hanging before dawn quickly reached pilgrims, many of them notified by relatives at home by mobile phone or text message.
A group of Iraqi Shiites passed around the news with joy as they walked to the three stone walls that they pelt with stones in a symbolic rejection of Satan.
"Today we were stoning the devil, but we were also stoning Saddam," said Sayed Hassan Moussawi, an Iraqi Shiite cleric. "Everyone here is so happy. He killed so many men, women and children and he tormented Iraq's Shiites."
--Politicarp
Further Research:
Iran seeks to use the haj for political gain [Yaakov BenZvi, Jerusalem Post]
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