Thousands Risk Flu for Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA, Nov. 25, 2009 — -- For the past 1,400 years, the faithful have flocked to the holy city of Mecca to take part in the annual pilgrimage, the Hajj. In accordance with one of the five pillars of Islam, every financially and physically able-bodied Muslim must perform the ritual at least once in their lives.

This year is no exception: Officials say they are expecting about 2.5 million pilgrims from 160 countries to converge on the Saudi Arabian city and the other sacred sites. But the threat of the H1N1 virus is looming large. The density of the pilgrims, the nature of the rituals and proximity in prayer provide what health officials describe as the perfect conditions for spreading the virus.

Still, followers have come to complete the sacred journey. Outside the Al Haram mosque, home to the large black cube called the Kaaba, some of the pilgrims said their faith in God is greater.

One woman said their fates are in the hands of Allah and they're all going to die one day. Another man, wearing a mask, said, "Nobody seems to be worried at all, so I am not worried."

He confessed, however, to taking precautions. "When it's crowded, I put my mask on,'' he said.

But for Saudi health authorities, there is a lot of international pressure to contain and prevent the virus from spreading. And it's a huge challenge to restrict people's movements, especially during the holy pilgrimage of Hajj.

Indeed, it's impossible, Saudi Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah told ABC News.

But he was quick to dismiss rumors that he had considered cancelling the Hajj, which started today and ends Thursday night. "Because of the attention of the media and the public, people are worried, some countries talked about it," he said. "However, it wasn't in the mind of Saudi Arabia, we never thought about it, it didn't cross our mind. I think the government is confident in its health facilities, is confident in its capabilities and, from day one, we told them that we would put guidelines and recommendations but we will not prevent people from coming to Hajj.''