No kissing the kaaba at this year’s hajj
The year was 2014 and already Ebola was on everyone's minds. Mers and avian flu have scared off people from hajj, but covid-19 has closed Saudi's doors. This year a very modest, local hajj will take place.
Hajj
What happens if Ebola virus joins the Hajj to Mecca?
The Ebola virus, already said to be virtually out of control in west Africa, may also be threatening Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East. The virus, which still has no known cure, has so far resulted in more than 3,300 confirmed deaths in the three West Africa countries of Guinea, Liberia and […]
Hajj selfie fever rocks the Kaabah in Mecca – but is humble bragging holy?
The annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca known as Hajj has officially begun.
How fast can Africa’s Ebola outbreak move to the Middle East?
As if the Middle East hasn’t already had problems with serious infectous diseases, such as Mid East Respiritory Syndrome (MERS), an even more deadly virus, Ebola, may now be on its way there as well. Ebola is one of the world’s worst virus scourges and is now on the verge of becoming an international pandemic, according to World Health […]
MERS Risk and Hajj – How to Prepare for a Healthy Pilgrammage
Public health officials in the Gulf states are playing down fears about an outbreak of the deadly MERS coronavirus among pilgrims travelling to the Hajj in Saudi Arabia this month, though doctors are advising the elderly, people with existing health conditions, pregnant women and young children to stay away.
Amazing Pavegen Tiles Harvest Energy From Footsteps
Paris marathon organizers plan on ripping off its runners! Energy-harvesting tiles placed along an 80 foot section of the Champs Elysee will capture energy from the pounding feet of 40,000 racers. The technology developed by Pavegen offers a tangible way for people to engage with renewable energy generation. The flexible tiles made from recycled truck tires […]
10 Green Prophets for 2012
The year in retrospect has been a positive one. Despite civil unrest, dangerous regimes, and appalling environmental crimes and neglect, there are good green things afoot for the Middle East. Today we recap some of our green leaders of 2012, the people of the Middle East and for the Middle East who have made 2012, […]
Angry Cow Murders Its Gazan Slaughterer During Muslim Eid Festival
Amateur slaughterers are often injured on the job. Should slaughtering be left to the professionals? The annual Hajj pilgrimage, on which we wrote about efforts to make it more green, has also become an event in which animals are being slaughtered inhumanely for the accompanying Ein al-Adha or the Muslim Feast of the Sacrifice holiday. […]
A look at Islam’s Eid al-Adha 2012 Across the Middle East
This time of year marks one of Islam’s most sacred holidays, Eid al-Adha. The four-day holiday corresponds with the height of the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which draws two million Muslim pilgrims a year. Eid began Friday and will end Monday, the last day of the Hajj. When traveling in Palestinian […]
Bosnian Walks 3,600 Miles to Mekkah
Senad Hadzic walked for 314 days and crossed six countries from his village in Bosnia to get to Mekkah in time for Hajj Last year we covered the amazing story of two South African Muslims who had cycled all the way to Mekkah. Not much more you could do to top that we thought at […]
SARS-like Mystery Virus Appears in Saudi Arabia, Alerting Haj Pilgrims
A new SARS-like mystery illness has health authorities alert ahead of the millions-strong Haj pilgrammage to Mecca. There have been two recent cases of a mysterious SARS-like virus linked to Saudi Arabia. It killed one of its victims from Saudi Arabia. The second who is still alive travelled through the country. The unknown mystery virus […]
New Mekkah Mega-Scheme On The Way
A German company has just secured the contract for a mega project in Mekkah which will house around 160,000 inhabitants Despite reassurances that Mekkah would take a more considered approach to construction, a new mega-scheme for the city has just been given the green light. Following the horrendous Mekkah Clocktower and the growing sprawl surrounding […]
The Weird Science of Pedestrian Behavior Might Help Hajj
Math helps us understand how people flow, and just maybe it could help Hajj pilgrims stay safe. A Californian jogs to the beach. Coming towards him on the sidewalk is a Texan. Unless one steps aside they’ll collide. Quick: which way does the jogger move? If this is in Europe or the USA, heavy odds he […]
A Forest of Umbrellas Keeps Medina Pilgrims Cool
Today’s pilgrims to Medina are way cooler than their predecessors thanks to sun shelters surrounding Islam’s second-holiest mosque. Al-Masjid al-Nabawī, the second mosque built by the Prophet Mohammed, is one of the world’s largest. But continual expansion over the centuries hasn’t kept pace with the increasing swell of Hajj pilgrims who congregate each year in its courtyards. […]
Hajj Terminal is Aviation’s Gorgeous Green Gem
Open only six weeks each year, Hajj Terminal is rated one of the world’s best and busiest. Dozens of gleaming white tents form a bold roofline covering 120 acres of passenger services; sustainable magnificence created by visionary architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill over thirty years ago. Located in Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi […]
Islamic New Year – Staying Green Since 622CE
Astronomical time savers, renewable faith and eco-terrorism. Another year has passed of the Islamic calendar. Over a thousand years since the first eco-mosque, but are Muslims any more greener at the end of it?
Eco-Wudhu and Islam’s Bright Relationship to Water
Wudhu (woo-dhoo) is a Muslim's ritual wash before any act of worship. Wudhu is a control switch, a health check, a reminder of liquid blessings. But how can wudhu make the Islamic faith even greener?
Mekkah Signals Move Away From Las Vegas-Style Architecture
The hideous Mekkah Clocktower may have been the final straw – officials now state that any additions will be more in tune with traditional architecture It seems that the powers that be in Mekkah (Mecca) are finally listening. After widespread complaints that Mekkah was beginning to resemble Las Vegas with its preference for gargantuan and […]
7 Tips for a Sustainable Eid ul Adha Festival
Sacrifice is Muslims' way of giving back to community, the poor and God. But consumerism had turned the Eid-ul-Adha festival into another "Eid-mas". See our doable ideas on what you could be giving up after Hajj season and share your own.
Interview With Green Hajj Expert Husna Ahmed
We speak to Dr Husna Ahmed, the co-author of the newly launched Green Guide to Hajj about the role Muslims can play in protecting nature As part of its work to encourage green religious pilgrimages worldwide, the Alliance of Religions and Conservation have just launched a ‘Green Guide to Hajj’. Co-authored by Dr Husna Ahmed […]
Saudi Interior Ministry Approves First Hajj Safety Guide
Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, KSA's Minister of Interior has approved the world's first Hajj security plan which will provide pilgrims basic services and shelter centers in the event of any emergencies.
Middle East Leaders To Launch Green Hajj Guide At House Of Lords
With the nearing of the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Makkah, Middle Eastern leaders and the 'Ecomuslim' aim to launch an official green guide to Hajj at the House of Lords, London.
Plans For Cleaner Zam Zam Distribution In Madinah
Saudi Arabia's Water and Electricity Minister reveals its SR700 million Zam Zam Water Project, a 42 outlet distribution plan to bottle the cleaner Zam Zam water in Madinah.
Zam Zam Holy Water Is ‘Unsafe for Human Consumption’
A recent report by the BBC has revealed that holy water from Mecca known as ‘Zam Zam’ is contaminated with high levels of arsenic It seems that these days nothing is holy. First the holy waters of the River Jordan were found to be sewage infested and now the ‘Zamzam’ holy waters of a sacred […]
Four Steps to a Greener Hajj (part 3)
Take up the green challenge when you go to Hajj by following these four simple steps In the third and final installement of our Green Hajj feature we suggest some practical action reduce the carbon footprint of the average pilgrim. Based on the experiences of past pilgrims to Mecca, we put forward four simple yet […]