Hawzah News Agency-The hajj is a mandatory religious pilgrimage for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in each Muslim’s lifetime.
“We had two services, and many people ended up praying outside the fence because there was no room,” Nicole Bovey Alhakawati, spokeswoman for the Islamic Institute of Orange County.
The event was reportedly organized by the four largest mosques in Orange County – the Islamic Center of Irvine, the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove, and the Islamic Institute of Orange County and West Coast Islamic Society, both in Anaheim.
Monday’s mass prayer was reportedly interrupted by four protesters who “were yelling out hateful things and holding Bibles,” Khalil Hamidi, who attended the prayers with his family, told. “I have many close friends who are Christians. What these people did today was not Christian.”
On social media, one user captured part of the protest, referring to the group of four as “Islamophobes”:
A woman named Joumana told that she had performed the hajj in 2007 but said she believes fewer women went this year than last year due to security concerns. Last year, a stampede in Mecca tragically killed approximately 2,300 people.
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