Syria crisis looms large for Hajj pilgrims

Three million Muslims descend on Mecca, with trouble spots like Syria weighing heavy on their minds.

Security has been stepped up in Saudi Arabia, as more than three million Muslims from around the world gather for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

This year’s Hajj has the least number of Syrians to date.

The killing of civilians by government forces there has led Riyadh to cut ties with Damascus, making it all but impossible for those wanting to perform Hajj to obtain a visa. 

But the conflict in Syria is on many pilgrims’ minds, as Al Jazeera’s Jamal Elshayyal reports from Mina.

Source: Al Jazeera