More than 700,000 pilgrims are already on the ground and nearly a million and half more are expected by mid-week; the annual Hajj season is now underway in Mecca with Saudi authorities pledging that they are on top of both safety and security.
At least 717 pilgrims from around the world were killed on Thursday in a crush outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi authorities said, in the worst disaster to strike the annual Hajj pilgrimage for 25 years.
Even Europe had to admit that the Mecca agreement fell short on all three counts.
That left European officials with a dilemma: Should they continue to boycott the P.A. government or fudge Europe\’s conditions enough so it can argue that the new P.A. government has met them?
Deep red curtains, dark lighting, cushiony pillows and pictures of camels and bellydancers adorning the walls: That\’s what you\’d expect from a restaurant reputed to be one of the best Middle Eastern eateries in Southern California.
Instead, what you find is a bright diner-like atmosphere, with orange and yellow arches on the walls, in a strip mall in Sherman Oaks. Oh, and a long line of Americans, Arabs, Druse and Israelis.
Carnival\’s green awning welcomes guests in Hebrew (\”Bruchim Ha\’baim\”) English and Arabic. Newspapers in three languages line the table of the anteroom, as people wait for a table or takeout on this busy Saturday night.
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