Arab Spring Haj Pilgrims Talk Politics Despite Heavy Security

Reuters’ Amena Bakr reports that despite the request from Saudi Arabia to leave politics at home, many Muslims making the haj to Mecca are discussing the state of their home nation while security forces watch over their pilgrimage. Although the Saudi government has said it will not tolerate any political protests, more than 1.6 million wary travelers continue to discuss the political strife that plagues the region. “We still don’t have enough security of the streets to feel safe,” said Mohamed Zaki, an Egyptian oil trader. “I don’t feel comfortable knowing people get shot every day.”

Read at Reuters

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