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Article: Fulfilling one of the duties of a Muslim: a pilgrimage to Mecca.(Originated from Knight Ridder Newspapers)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- April 20, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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MECCA, Saudi Arabia _ Standing outside the entrance to the Mecca (also known as the Grand Mosque), I quickly slipped off my shoes and put them in a plastic bag along with the footwear of the rest of my family. Shoes, because they track dirt and filth, are forbidden in this most sacred Muslim place.
My father extended his hands to my sister and me and asked us to close our eyes. He would guide us through the porticos leading to the courtyard that houses the ``Kaaba'', the cubic brick structure that is considered the center of Islam. He wanted the Kaaba itself to be the first thing we saw once we entered Mecca.
My parents had made the pilgrimage a ...