The ritual of the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca has many local Muslims celebrating here in Lansing.
For Muslims who could not make the pilgrimage to Mecca for Hajj, the Lansing Center served as their sanctuary for prayer. The spiritual journey cleanses the soul and wipes away sins.
But the recent heightened terror alert has Muslims once again feeling like targets. They say just like 9-11, the alert evokes feelings of stress. Muslims feel activities rather individuals should be the focus.
The crisis in Iraq has overshadowed this year's Hajj, with Muslim leaders canceling traditional receptions. Local Muslims say they believe their is a non-violent solution to the problem.
Hajj, which lasts for seven days, is one of the five pillars of Mecca. The prayer at the Lansing Center honored the sacrifice of Abraham's first son.
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Hajj
Source: http://www.ummah.org.uk/hajj/ (Hajj and Eid-ul-Adha Web site) contributed to this report.
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