Young pilgrims taking selfies are frowned upon in Mecca By Los Angeles Times, adapted by Newsela staff on 10.06.14 Word Count 526 Muslim pilgrims pray as the sun sets at the Plain of Arafat during the annual pilgrimage, known as the hajj, near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014. Saudi Arabia sought to assure the public that the kingdom was safe and free of health scares as an estimated 2 million Muslims streamed into a sprawling tent city near Mecca for the start of the annual Islamic hajj pilgrimage. AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed Mecca and Medina, both in Saudi Arabia, are the two most holy cities for the world's Muslims. Every year, millions of the faithful travel to both sites. They go to visit sites important to the founding of Islam, and from the life of its prophet Muhammad. Journeys like theirs, known as the hajj, have been happening for centuries. This year, 2 million Muslims will arrive in Saudi Arabia. Technological changes will make their Hajj experience safer and more comfortable than ever before. To Selfie Or Not Some Muslim clerics are not happy about one change, however. Smartphones are now allowed at the holy places, for use in case of emergencies but they are being used for other purposes too. Young pilgrims have begun snapping photos of themselves. They are photographing themselves kissing the Grand Mosque s black stone or taking selfies with other sacred sites in the background. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1
Many religious scholars condemn such tourist-like behavior. Islamic Studies teacher Zahra Mohammad declared that taking a selfie and posting it online was wrong. Hajj, he said, is supposed to be free of boasting or showing off. Scholar Sheik Abdul Razzaq al-badr agreed. It is as though the only purpose of this trip is to take pictures and not worship. And when they return home they say: Come look at me, this is me on Arafat, this is me in Muzdalifah! he said. Planning Ahead For Safety And Heat Still, Saudi engineers and planners are being cheered for introducing new safety features. In the past, the annual hajj has seen serious problems. Among these have been deadly stampedes and numerous cases of heat stroke. Crowding during the hajj can be extreme. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims attempt to walk around the mosques interiors at the same time. Extremely hot weather is often a problem as well. Pilgrims pray outdoors, uncovered, in temperatures that can go above 120 degrees. To help deal with the large crowds, a courtyard at Mecca s Grand Mosque has been modified. The mosque is now capable of handling 130,000 pilgrims per hour. At the Masjid al-nabawi mosque in Medina, 250 giant upside-down umbrellas have been installed over the courtyard. They serve to shade pilgrims from the sweltering afternoon sun. In an outdoor area of the mosque, sliding domes have also been installed. When necessary, they can be used to provide protection from the sun. The kingdom will also use 60,000 guards to protect this year s hajj. Agents will use facerecognition software to spot possible troublemakers and will monitor 1,700 video cameras. Special Health Checks Saudi health officials have also installed two medical screening points at Jidda airport. They will be used to check arriving African pilgrims for the Ebola virus. The goal is to prevent the disease's spread to the crowded hajj sites. Also for the first time this year, 300 Indian pilgrims will be provided with free cellphones. These are loaded with a new app that can translate Arabic and help users navigate the vast sites. The app will be made available to other countries next year. People receiving the new cellphones should probably avoid one thing, though using them to take selfies. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2
Quiz 1 In the section "Planning Ahead For Safety And Heat" select the paragraph that BEST supports the main idea of the article. 2 What are two main ideas of the article? Saudi Arabia has changed the rule which does not permit cell phones use during the hajj; some Muslim clerics are not happy about the change. Although Saudi Arabia has allowed cellphones at the hajj to make the journey safer, many are unhappy with the change; they introduced several safety features as well. Saudi Arabia has made several changes to make the hajj safer; several Muslim clerics do not agree with all of the changes. Several Muslim clerics do not agree with the safety features introduced by Saudi Arabia; many others think the changes are necessary. 3 Read the sentence from the section "Planning Ahead For Safety And Heat." Crowding during the hajj can be extreme. All of the following words mean the OPPOSITE of the word "extreme" EXCEPT: moderate sovereign intense inferior 4 Read the sentence from the section "To Selfie Or Not." Many religious scholars condemn such tourist-like behavior. What is the meaning of the word "scholars" as used in the above sentence? teacher scientist doctor learner This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3
Answer Key 1 In the section "Planning Ahead For Safety And Heat" select the paragraph that BEST supports the main idea of the article. Paragraph 7: Still, Saudi engineers and planners are being cheered for introducing new safety features. In the past, the annual hajj has seen serious problems. Among these have been deadly stampedes and numerous cases of heat stroke. 2 What are two main ideas of the article? Saudi Arabia has changed the rule which does not permit cell phones use during the hajj; some Muslim clerics are not happy about the change. Although Saudi Arabia has allowed cellphones at the hajj to make the journey safer, many are unhappy with the change; they introduced several safety features as well. Saudi Arabia has made several changes to make the hajj safer; several Muslim clerics do not agree with all of the changes. Several Muslim clerics do not agree with the safety features introduced by Saudi Arabia; many others think the changes are necessary. 3 Read the sentence from the section "Planning Ahead For Safety And Heat." Crowding during the hajj can be extreme. All of the following words mean the OPPOSITE of the word "extreme" EXCEPT: moderate sovereign intense inferior This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4
4 Read the sentence from the section "To Selfie Or Not." Many religious scholars condemn such tourist-like behavior. What is the meaning of the word "scholars" as used in the above sentence? teacher scientist doctor learner This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5