Huda Zaqqout shops for hajj in Gaza City a few weeks before she travels to Mecca for the Islamic pilgrimage. It just so happens that now, after an easing of Saudi policy, more women pilgrims can participate without a mahram, or a male relative to escort them. It’s serendipitous timing for Zaqqout, who has waited years for this opportunity, and whose sons cannot afford to make the long, arduous trip from Gaza to Mecca. After she returned from umrah, she nervously tuned in to the radio broadcast announcing this year’s hajj pilgrims. Arafat, where the climactic moment of hajj occurs, she said she will pray for peace and love between people.

Source: Los Angeles Times June 20, 2023 23:51 UTC