Ramadan Articles - Rich and Poor Pilgrims Fill Makkah During Ramadan

MECCA, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - To many pilgrims, sleeping and eating
on the cool white-marbled floor of the Grand Mosque in Mecca isa
heavenly luxury. For others, the luxury hotels overlooking the mosque
are the place to be.
Muslims flock to Mecca in the last 10 days of the holy fasting month
of Ramadan, a favorite time for the lesser pilgrimage, called 'Umra,
two monthsbefore the Hajj pilgrimage which is a duty for every
able-bodied Muslim who can afford it.
'Umra attracts up to 2 million Muslims in this period from 80
countries,including some of the world's poorest, as well as many
Saudis.
Sleeping in the Mosque
"Why would I spend 1,000 riyals ($267) for a room when I can sleep in
the mosque in front of the Kaaba? This is God's house," said Abdullah
Faraghani from Yemen, referring to the black structure at the center
of the Grand Mosque which Muslims throughout the world turn to in
prayer.
"Besides, I came in Ramadan to meditate, pray and repent -- not to use
the remote control," he said, while sharing a meal of rice and chicken
with other pilgrims.
The majority of those who cannot afford the five-star accommodation
around the mosque comewith packages for a month-long stay costing them
up to $1,500.
Real Estate Boom
Mecca is currently witnessing a real estate boom as exclusive hotels,
apartments and malls risearound the mosque.
"Those who can afford it come for just the last ten days of Ramadan,
pay$10,000 for the stay in thehotel and the flights. But they can pray
from their room and just look at theKaaba," a Saudi travel agent said.
Nayla Bennani, a woman from Morocco, is one of them.
"First I'm alone, so I can't stay anywhere," she said,sipping a cup of
Turkish coffee. "Pilgrimage can be very tiring, the long prayers,
circling the Kaaba, staying up all night to read the Quran --so you
need somewhere comfortable to stay."
The central idea of pilgrimage in Islam is that all Muslims are
equals, regardless of social status or race. Men wear only two pieces
of white cloth, while women avoid perfumes.
Sometimes Saudi guards make an effort to clear away the squatters
insidethe mosque. Occasionally they will allow a foreign dignitary to
move unhindered through the crowds in order to touch the Kaaba and its
famed black stone.
Social Disparities
Outside the mosque, Mecca offers a clearer snapshot of the social
disparities. Pilgrims who cannot find a place to sleep near the mosque
look for the nearest shopping mall, where they are less harassed by
security.
In their robes, they stroll past shops offering famed brands such as
Givenchy and Dior. But few buy.