Tuesday, February 14, 2012


Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyz Pilgrims To Be Buried In Saudi Arabia

Muslim pilgrims outside the Al-Haram Sharif Mosque in Mecca (file photo) (epa)

BISHKEK, January 14, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Authorities in Kyrgyzstan say all 22 Kyrgyz pilgrims who died in a bus collision on January 12 while returning home from the Hajj in Mecca will be buried in Saudi Arabia.

TEXT SIZE - +

The head of the state agency for religious affairs, Jolbors Jorobekov, told RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service that the relatives of the traffic accident victims agreed they should be buried there. Some 17 other Kyrgyz were injured, and two of them are in serious condition.


Jarobekov told RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service that the injured Kyrgyz will be transported home on January 15.

The Hajj


Click on the map for an enlarged image.

THE HAJJ: Every year, Islamic pilgrims converge on the Saudi holy city of Mecca for what is considered to be the world's largest single gathering of human beings -- the annual hajj pilgrimage, the fifth and final pillar of Islam. Hajj literally means "to set out for a place," and every able-bodied Muslim with the means to do so is expected to make the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime, traditionally after first settling all their wordly affairs...(more)

You Might Also Like

Video Love It (Or Hate It), It's Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, the Western holiday celebrating love, has become a global phenomenon over the past two decades. The fall of communism and the emergence of the Internet have helped February 14 become something of an unofficial international day of romance. However, not all the passions the holiday stirs are related to love. While some countries have openly embraced the holiday, others are attempting to ban it or replace it with local customs. More

Video Yo! Turkmen Rappers Flip The Script On Repression

For a growing number of Turkmen youth, rap music has become a way to express their daily struggles and inspire political change in one of the world's most oppressive countries. More

Turkmenistan's Personality Cult 2.0

Turkmen Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov appears to be building a personality cult to match that of his eccentric predecessor. More

Most Popular

               
 
 
 
 
Being Discussed Now

Reports: Assault On Homs Continues

Latest Comment (5 total)

eli: Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought you cared about the unarmed people in Homs ... More

Kosovo Serbs To Vote In Referendum

Latest Comment (1 total)

Alija: I'm sure the Russians would welcome their Slavic brothers with open arms should ... More

Jolie In Sarajevo For Film Screening

Latest Comment (1 total)

Janja: How else would Serb soldiers be portrayed? If they do not like the ... More