TEHRAN, Jul. 13 – As Iran marks Information Technology Day, attention turns to a towering figure in human history: Khwarazmi, the 9th-century polymath whose intellectual legacy continues to shape modern science and mathematics.

Today, Iran proudly observes the Day of Kharazmi, also known as Information Technology Day, commemorating the legacy of one of the greatest minds in the history of mathematics and science: Abu Jafar Mohammad Ibn Mousa Khwarazmi.

Al-Khwarizmi, a 9th-century scholar born in Khwarazm, revolutionized mathematics with his systematic approach to solving equations, laying the groundwork for what we now call algebra.

His Latinized name, Algoritmi, inspired the word “algorithm,” a cornerstone of modern computing.

His contributions weren’t limited to math. Al-Khwarizmi also authored influential works on astronomy and geography.

He pioneered methods for solving linear and quadratic equations, introducing a systematic approach distinct from geometry-based reasoning. The term “algebra” itself comes from “al-jabr,” one of the operations he described.

His name, transliterated as Algoritmi, became embedded in the term algorithm—a concept essential to modern computing, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies.

He introduced the Hindu-Arabic numeral system and positional decimal notation to Europe—a shift that revolutionized numerical computation and replaced the cumbersome Roman numerals of the time.

Al-Khwarizmi was also a noted geographer and astronomer. He compiled a world map based on Ptolemaic coordinates and authored a major work on the movement of celestial bodies.

UNESCO honored Al-Khwarizmi’s enduring impact in 1983, declaring it the 1500th anniversary of his death and inviting nations to celebrate the “father of algebra.” Today, his legacy is championed not only in textbooks and classrooms but also through global initiatives like the Khwarizmi International Award, which promotes innovation and scientific achievement.

On this day of celebration, Al-Khwarizmi’s brilliance reminds us that the building blocks of today’s technological age were laid over a millennium ago by scholars who dared to imagine—and calculate—the infinite possibilities of human knowledge.

As part of this annual celebration, the Khwarizmi International Award continues to champion scientific excellence. Established in 1987 by the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, the award has evolved into a global showcase of innovation, science, and technology.

Held annually in Iran, the International Khwarazmi Festival is a highlight of the scientific calendar. It recognizes inventors, entrepreneurs, and researchers through six competitive sections, ranging from national and foreign projects to commercialized innovations and exceptional achievements by Iranian intellectuals.

Spotlight on the 39th Khwarizmi International Award

Applications for the 39th Khwarizmi International Award are now open, inviting global scientists and innovators to submit their groundbreaking work.

The award ceremony, scheduled for February 2026, will host distinguished laureates, officials, and the President of Iran in recognition of this year’s trailblazing contributors. Submissions are open until October 1, 2025.

Through his ideas and intellectual legacy, Al-Khwarizmi continues to inspire generations of mathematicians, scientists, and technologists.

On this special day, we honor his lasting impact on the world and look forward to the innovations his legacy still sparks.

The annual commemoration serves not only as a tribute to a historical figure but also as a catalyst for future discoveries.

It is a moment to reflect on the power of education, the importance of scientific exploration, and the boundless possibilities that arise when we build upon the knowledge of those who came before us.

The Day of Kharazmi is a call to engage with the rich intellectual heritage that continues to drive progress in science, technology, and human understanding.

And as the 39th Khwarizmi International Award approaches, the global scientific community eagerly anticipates the unveiling of innovations and breakthroughs.

The award represents the ongoing commitment to foster scientific progress and technological advancement.

It is a reminder that the spirit of Al-Khwarizmi lives on through every dedicated researcher and inventor striving to solve today’s most pressing challenges.

On Iran’s Information Technology Day, Al-Khwarizmi’s extraordinary life and achievements highlight the enduring legacy of a scholar whose insights continue to resonate in the digital age.

MEHR

KHAN YUNIS, Wilayah Palestin – Ibu Gaza, Amal Abu Shalouf mengusap muka dan rambut anak lelakinya, perpisahan singkat sebelum seorang lelaki tiba-tiba menutup beg mayat yang membawa budak berusia tiga tahun itu yang dibunuh beberapa jam sebelumnya pada Selasa.

“Amir, sayangku, sayangku!” jerit ibunya, bergelut untuk menyeberangi halaman Hospital Nasser yang sesak di Khan Yunis, bandar utama selatan Gaza, di mana beberapa mayat bergelimpangan dalam kain kafan plastik putih.

Menurut agensi pertahanan awam, sekurang-kurangnya sembilan orang terbunuh pada Selasa di selatan Jalur Gaza ketika tentera Israel menjalankan operasi ketenteraan, lebih 20 bulan selepas perang dicetuskan oleh serangan Hamas pada 2023 ke atas Israel.

Dihubungi oleh AFP, tentera tidak menjawab permintaan untuk mengulas mengenai kematian Amir Abu Shalouf.

Di hospital, seorang lelaki membawa mayat budak lelaki itu dalam pelukannya melalui sekumpulan berpuluh-puluh orang yang berkabung.

“Saya bersumpah, saya tidak boleh menerimanya,” kata adik remajanya, Ahmad Abu Shalouf, dengan mukanya dipenuhi air mata.

“Apa salah dia buat?” kata seorang lagi saudaranya, Mohammad Abu Shalouf. “Seorang budak lelaki yang tidak bersalah, duduk di dalam khemahnya, dan peluru menyerangnya di belakang.”

Mohammad berkata dia “menemui dia ditembak di belakang” ketika dia kembali ke khemah yang telah menjadi rumah keluarga di Al-Mawasi, kawasan pantai dekat Khan Yunis yang kini menjadi perkhemahan besar-besaran bagi penduduk Palestin yang dipindahkan.

Perang dahsyat telah mewujudkan keadaan kemanusiaan yang teruk di Gaza, di mana Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) telah memberi amaran bahawa seluruh penduduk menghadapi risiko kebuluran.

Ibu yang berduka itu, dihiburkan oleh saudara-mara, berkata anak lelakinya yang masih kecil meminta makanan sejak kebelakangan ini dan mengimpikan seketul daging.

“Tiada makanan, tiada air, tiada pakaian,” kata Amal, yang mempunyai lapan anak untuk dijaga.

Amal berkata dia juga cedera dalam kejadian pra-fajar yang membunuh anaknya.

“Saya terdengar sesuatu jatuh di sebelah kaki saya semasa saya duduk dan membakar, dan tiba-tiba terasa sesuatu kena saya. Saya mula menjerit,” katanya.

Di luar khemah ketika itu, dia berkata dia cuba merangkak dan mencapai ahli keluarga yang lain.

“Kemudian saya mendengar anak perempuan saya menjerit dari dalam khemah… mendapati mereka memegang anak saya, perut dan belakangnya berlumuran darah.”

Sekumpulan lelaki membentuk barisan untuk membaca doa untuk orang mati, kata-kata mereka hampir tenggelam oleh bunyi dron Israel yang terbang di atas kepala.

Di saf kedua, Ahmad Abu Shalouf memegang tangannya di atas perutnya dalam doa, tidak dapat menahan air mata.

Adegan sama bermain di halaman hospital berulang kali selama beberapa jam, ketika kematian hari itu ditangisi.

Pada satu ketika, seorang lelaki kurus kering rebah di hadapan mayat yang diselubungi.

Seorang yang berkabung meletakkan kepalanya pada salah satu mayat, membawa pengusung pada permulaan perarakan pengebumian, sebelum dibantu oleh orang lain.

Dari kejauhan, sekumpulan wanita menyokong Ummu Mohammad Shahwan, seorang ibu yang bersedih, dengan mereka semua menangis.

“Kami mahu perang ditamatkan,” kata Amal Abu Shalouf.

Di Gaza, dia mengeluh, “tidak ada harapan atau keamanan”.

AN-AFP

KHAN YUNIS, Palestinian Territories – Gazan mother Amal Abu Shalouf ran her hand over her son’s face and hair, a brief farewell before a man abruptly sealed the body bag carrying the three-year-old who was killed just hours earlier on Tuesday.

“Amir, my love, my dear!” cried his mother, struggling to cross the crowded courtyard of Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza’s main city, where several bodies lay in white plastic shrouds.

According to the civil defense agency, at least nine people were killed on Tuesday in the southern Gaza Strip as Israeli forces carried out military operations, more than 20 months into the war triggered by Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel.

Contacted by AFP, the military did not respond to a request for comment about Amir Abu Shalouf’s death.

At the hospital, a man carried the boy’s body in his arms through a crowd of dozens of mourners.

“I swear, I can’t take it,” his teenage brother, Ahmad Abu Shalouf, said, his face covered in tears.

“What wrong did he do?” said another brother, Mohammad Abu Shalouf. “An innocent little boy, sitting inside his tent, and a bullet struck him in the back.”

Mohammad said he had “found him shot in the back” as he returned to the tent that has become the family’s home in Al-Mawasi, a coastal area near Khan Yunis that is now a massive encampment for displaced Palestinians.

The devastating war has created dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza, where the United Nations has warned that the entire population is at risk of famine.

The grieving mother, comforted by relatives, said her young son had been begging for food in recent days and dreaming of a piece of meat.

“There is no food, no water, no clothing,” said Amal, who has eight children to take care of.
Amal said she too was injured in the pre-dawn incident that killed her son.

“I heard something fall next to my foot while I was sitting and baking, and suddenly felt something hit me. I started screaming,” she said.

Outside the tent at the time, she said she tried crawling and reaching for other family members.

“Then I heard my daughter screaming from inside the tent… found them holding my son, his abdomen and back covered in blood.”

A group of men formed lines to recite a prayer for the dead, their words almost drowned out by the noise of Israeli drones flying overhead.

In the second row, Ahmad Abu Shalouf held his hands over his stomach in prayer, unable to hold back a stream of tears.

Similar scenes played out at the hospital courtyard again and again over several hours, as the day’s dead were mourned.

At one point, an emaciated man collapsed in front of the shrouded bodies.

One mourner pressed his head against one of the bodies, carried on a stretcher at the start of a funeral procession, before being helped up by others.

At a distance, a group of women supported Umm Mohammad Shahwan, a grieving mother, with all of them in tears.

“We need the war to end,” said Amal Abu Shalouf.

In Gaza, she lamented, “there’s no hope or peace.”

AN-AFP

KAHERAH – Tiga jemaah haji Sepanyol yang menunaikan haji di Arab Saudi menunggang kuda ke Makkah, menempuh beribu-ribu kilometer dalam salji dan hujan dan di sepanjang laluan yang mereka katakan tidak pernah dilalui selama lebih 500 tahun.

Abdelkader Harkassi Aidi, Tarek Rodriguez dan Abdallah Rafael Hernandez Mancha bertolak dari selatan Sepanyol pada Oktober, menunggang melalui Perancis, Itali, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turki, Syria dan Jordan untuk tiba di Arab Saudi pada Mei.

Ia adalah detik yang penuh emosi bagi ketiga-tiga mereka apabila mereka tiba di Makkah. Tiada jemaah haji melakukan perjalanan dengan cara ini sejak 1491, kata mereka.

Harkassi berkata laluan kumpulan itu dari Sepanyol membawa mereka merentasi kira-kira 8,000 kilometer (hampir 5,000 batu) sebelum mereka sampai ke Kaabah, struktur kiub hitam di Masjidil Haram di Makkah.

“Kami telah menyeberangi begitu banyak kilometer untuk sampai ke sana dan Allah telah menjawab hajat kami,” katanya kepada The Associated Press (AP) pada Khamis dari Arafah, tenggara Makkah.
“Kami berada di hadapan Kaabah dan berpeluang menyentuhnya. Jadi, 8,000 kilometer itu menjadi tiada apa-apa.”

Sepanjang perjalanan mereka selama berbulan-bulan, mereka menjumpai kawasan alam semula jadi yang indah dan tanda tempat bersejarah di Syria, termasuk Kubu Aleppo dan Masjid Umayyah.

Mereka juga menemui landasan kereta api lama yang dibina pada zaman Empayar Utsmaniyyah yang menghubungkan Istanbul ke Arab Saudi. Mereka mengikutinya selama beberapa hari untuk membantu membimbing mereka ke kerajaan padang pasir itu.

Tetapi ada cabaran juga. Mereka kehilangan kuda mereka di Bosnia, hanya menemuinya kemudian di zon periuk api. Tiada siapa yang boleh mengambil kuda kerana bahan letupan, tetapi haiwan itu akhirnya berjaya keluar dari kawasan itu tanpa cedera, kata Harkassi.

Elemen manusia dalam perjalanan itu adalah yang paling berharga untuk pasukan, tambahnya.

“Apabila kami tidak mempunyai apa-apa, orang membantu kami dengan kuda kami, dengan makanan kami, mereka memberi kami wang. Apabila kereta bantuan kami rosak, mereka membaikinya untuk kami,” kata Harkassi.

“Orang ramai sangat luar biasa. Saya fikir ia adalah bukti bahawa umat Islam bersatu, bahawa satu umat (bangsa) yang didambakan setiap Muslim adalah realiti.”

AP

CAIRO – Three Spanish pilgrims performing the Hajj in Saudi Arabia rode on horseback to Mecca, traveling thousands of kilometers in snow and rain and along a path they said had not been trekked for more than 500 years.

Abdelkader Harkassi Aidi, Tarek Rodriguez and Abdallah Rafael Hernandez Mancha set out from southern Spain in October, riding through France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria and Jordan to arrive in Saudi Arabia in May.

It was an emotional moment for the trio when they reached Mecca. No pilgrim had traveled this way since 1491, they said.

Harkassi said the group’s path from Spain took them across about 8,000 kilometers (nearly 5,000 miles) before they reached the Kaaba, the black cube structure in the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

“We had crossed so many kilometers to be there and Allah had replied to our wish,” he told The Associated Press on Thursday from Arafat, southeast of Mecca. “We were in front of the Kaaba and had the opportunity to touch it. So, that 8,000 kilometers became nothing.”

During their monthslong journey they came across scenic stretches of nature and historical landmarks in Syria, including the Aleppo Citadel and the Umayyad Mosque.

They also found an old railway track built during the time of the Ottoman Empire that connected Istanbul to Saudi Arabia. They followed it for days to help guide them to the desert kingdom.

But there were challenges, too. They lost their horses in Bosnia, only to find them later in a landmine zone. Nobody could fetch the horses because of the explosives, but the animals eventually made it out of the area unharmed, Harkassi said.

The human element of the trip was the most valuable for the team, he added.

“When we didn’t have anything, people helped us with our horses, with our food, they gave us money. When our assistance car got broken, they fixed it for us,” Harkassi said. “People have been incredible. I think it’s proof that Muslims are united, that the one ummah (nation) that every Muslim longs for is a reality.”

AP

DEIR AL-BALAH, Jalur Gaza – Penduduk Palestin di seluruh Semenanjung Gaza yang dilanda peperangan menandakan permulaan salah satu cuti terpenting Islam dengan solat di luar masjid dan rumah yang musnah pada awal Jumaat, dengan harapan kecil perang dengan Israel akan berakhir tidak lama lagi.

Dengan sebahagian besar Gaza dalam runtuhan, lelaki dan kanak-kanak terpaksa mengadakan solat sunat Aidiladha di tempat terbuka dan dengan bekalan makanan yang semakin berkurangan, keluarga terpaksa berpuas hati dengan apa yang mereka dapat kumpul untuk jamuan tiga hari.

“Ini adalah perayaan terburuk dialami oleh rakyat Palestin kerana perang yang tidak adil terhadap rakyat Palestin,” kata Kamel Emran selepas menghadiri solat di bandar selatan Khan Younis.
“Tiada makanan, tiada tepung, tiada tempat berteduh, tiada masjid, tiada rumah, tiada tilam… Keadaannya sangat-sangat keras.”

Cuti Islam bermula pada hari ke-10 bulan Islam Dzulhijjah, semasa musim haji di Arab Saudi. Untuk tahun kedua, umat Islam di Gaza tidak dapat melakukan perjalanan ke Arab Saudi untuk menunaikan ibadah haji.

Perang meletus pada 7 Oktober 2023, apabila militan pimpinan Hamas melancarkan serangan mengejut ke atas Israel, membunuh kira-kira 1,200 orang, kebanyakannya orang awam, dan menculik 251 tebusan. Mereka masih menahan 56 tebusan, sekitar satu pertiga daripada mereka dipercayai masih hidup, selepas kebanyakan yang lain dibebaskan dalam perjanjian gencatan senjata atau perjanjian lain. Tentera Israel telah menyelamatkan lapan tebusan hidup dari Gaza dan menemui berpuluh-puluh mayat.

Sejak itu, Israel telah membunuh lebih 54,000 rakyat Palestin dalam kempen ketenteraannya, terutama wanita dan kanak-kanak, menurut Kementerian Kesihatan Gaza yang tidak membezakan antara orang awam atau pejuang dalam angkanya.

Serangan itu telah memusnahkan sebahagian besar Gaza dan menyebabkan kira-kira 90 peratus daripada penduduknya yang berjumlah kira-kira 2 juta penduduk Palestin dipindahkan.

Selepas menyekat semua makanan dan bantuan daripada memasuki Gaza selama lebih dua bulan, Israel mula membenarkan aliran bekalan masuk ke PBB beberapa minggu lalu. Tetapi PBB berkata ia tidak dapat mengagihkan banyak bantuan kerana sekatan ketenteraan Israel terhadap pergerakan dan kerana jalan yang ditetapkan oleh tentera untuk digunakan traknya tidak selamat dan terdedah kepada perompak.

Pertubuhan Makanan dan Pertanian (FAO) PBB di Rom berkata pada Khamis bahawa penduduk Gaza diunjurkan akan mengalami ketidakamanan makanan yang teruk menjelang September, dengan hampir 500,000 orang mengalami kekurangan makanan yang melampau, membawa kepada kekurangan zat makanan dan kebuluran.

“Ini bermakna risiko kebuluran benar-benar menyentuh seluruh Jalur Gaza,” kata Rein Paulson, pengarah pejabat kecemasan dan ketahanan FAO, dalam satu temu bual.

Sejak dua minggu lalu, tembakan meletus hampir setiap hari di Jalur Gaza di sekitar hab baharu di mana penduduk Palestin yang terdesak diarahkan untuk mengumpul makanan. Saksi berkata tentera Israel berdekatan telah melepaskan tembakan, dan lebih 80 orang terbunuh menurut pegawai hospital Gaza.

Israel telah menuduh Hamas mencuri bantuan dan cuba menghalangnya daripada sampai ke Palestin, dan berkata tentera melepaskan tembakan amaran atau ke arah individu yang mendekati tenteranya dalam beberapa kes.

Yayasan Kemanusiaan Gaza, kumpulan baru yang terdiri daripada kontraktor Amerika yang mahu digunakan Israel untuk menggantikan kumpulan kemanusiaan di Gaza yang mengagihkan bantuan dalam penyelarasan dengan PBB, berkata pada Jumaat bahawa semua pusat pengedarannya ditutup pada hari itu disebabkan keganasan yang berterusan.

Ia menggesa orang ramai untuk menjauhkan diri demi keselamatan mereka sendiri, dan berkata ia akan membuat pengumuman kemudian bila mereka akan meneruskan pengagihan bantuan kemanusiaan.

AN-AP, 6.6.2025

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip – Palestinians across the war-ravaged Gaza Strip marked the start of one of Islam’s most important holidays with prayers outside destroyed mosques and homes early Friday, with little hope the war with Israel will end soon.

With much of Gaza in rubble, men and children were forced to hold the traditional Eid Al-Adha prayers in the open air and with food supplies dwindling, families were having to make do with what they could scrape together for the three-day feast.

“This is the worst feast that the Palestinian people have experienced because of the unjust war against the Palestinian people,” said Kamel Emran after attending prayers in the southern city of Khan Younis. “There is no food, no flour, no shelter, no mosques, no homes, no mattresses … The conditions are very, very harsh.”

The Islamic holiday begins on the 10th day of the Islamic lunar month of Dhul-Hijja, during the Hajj season in Saudi Arabia. For the second year, Muslims in Gaza were not able to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the traditional pilgrimage.

The war broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 hostages. They are still holding 56 hostages, around a third of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages from Gaza and recovered dozens of bodies.

Since then, Israel has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians in its military campaign, primarily women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry which does not distinguish between civilians or combatants in its figures.

The offensive has destroyed large parts of Gaza and displaced around 90 percent of its population of roughly 2 million Palestinians.

After blocking all food and aid from entering Gaza for more than two months, Israel began allowing a trickle of supplies to enter for the UN several weeks ago. But the UN says it has been unable to distribute much of the aid because of Israeli military restrictions on movements and because roads that the military designates for its trucks to use are unsafe and vulnerable to looters.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome said Thursday that Gaza’s people are projected to fall into acute food insecurity by September, with nearly 500,000 people experiencing extreme food deprivation, leading to malnutrition and starvation.

“This means the risk of famine is really touching the whole of the Gaza Strip,” Rein Paulson, director of the FAO office of emergencies and resilience, said in an interview.

Over the past two weeks, shootings have erupted nearly daily in the Gaza Strip in the vicinity of new hubs where desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed according to Gaza hospital officials.

Israel has accused Hamas of stealing aid and trying to block it from reaching Palestinians, and has said soldiers fired warning shots or at individuals approaching its troops in some cases.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a newly formed group of mainly American contractors that Israel wants to use to replace humanitarian groups in Gaza that distribute aid in coordination with the UN, said Friday that all its distribution centers were closed for the day due to the ongoing violence.

It urged people to stay away for their own safety, and said it would make an announcement later as to when they would resume distributing humanitarian aid.

AN-AP, 6.6.2025

MINA, Arab Saudi – Jemaah haji sedang melakukan ritual terakhir haji – “rejam syaitan” – pada Jumaat, ketika umat Islam di seluruh dunia menyambut permulaan cuti Aidiladha.

Bermula sebelum waktu fajar, lebih 1.6 juta umat Islam yang mengambil bahagian dalam ibadah haji melempar tujuh batu ke arah setiap tiga tembok konkrit yang melambangkan syaitan di lembah Mina, di pinggir kota suci Makkah.

Berbondong-bondong jemaah haji telah keluar dari kem dan penginapan mereka di bandar khemah yang luas di Mina sebelum fajar, mengambil kesempatan daripada teduhan dan suhu sejuk.

Upacara itu memperingati rejaman Ibrahim terhadap syaitan di tiga tempat yang dikatakan syaitan cuba menghalangnya daripada mematuhi perintah Tuhan untuk mengorbankan anaknya.

“Pengalaman kami di Mina adalah mudah dan ringkas. Kami masuk dan dalam masa lima minit kami telah menyelesaikan hukuman rejam syaitan di ‘Jamarat’,” kata Wael Ahmed Abdel Kader, 34 tahun, dari Mesir, selepas melakukan upacara itu pada waktu fajar.

Howakita, seorang jemaah haji dari Guinea, berkata prospek menyambut haei raya di Makkah menggembirakannya.

“Apabila saya melemparkan batu, saya berasa tenang. Saya benar-benar bangga,” katanya.

Sehari sebelum itu, jemaah haji berkumpul di Bukit Arafah, berdoa dan membaca ayat-ayat al-Quran di bukit batu 70 meter berhampiran Makkah, tempat Nabi Muhammad dipercayai menyampaikan khutbah terakhirnya.

Ramai yang mendaki bukit itu walaupun panas terik, walaupun jumlahnya semakin berkurangan menjelang tengah hari berikutan amaran rasmi agar jemaah haji berada di dalam antara jam 10:00 pagi dan 4:00 petang.

Haji tahun ini menyaksikan pihak berkuasa melaksanakan pelbagai usaha pengurangan haba di samping tindakan keras yang meluas ke atas jemaah haji haram – menyebabkan orang ramai yang lebih nipis dan kehadiran keselamatan yang ketat di tapak suci di Makkah dan kawasan sekitarnya.

Langkah-langkah itu bertujuan untuk mencegah pengulangan maut haji tahun lalu yang menyaksikan 1,301 orang maut dalam suhu mencecah 51.8 darjah Celsius (125 darjah Fahrenheit).

Pihak berkuasa Saudi berkata majoriti kematian itu adalah dalam kalangan jemaah haji yang menyelinap secara haram ke Makkah dan tidak mempunyai akses kepada penginapan serta perkhidmatan lain yang bertujuan memastikan jemaah haji selamat dan dilindungi daripada panas padang pasir yang membakar.

Musim haji ini telah mencatatkan jumlah jemaah paling rendah dalam tempoh lebih tiga dekad, kecuali tahun sekatan COVID-19 dari 2020-2022.

Tahun lalu, 1.8 juta umat Islam mengambil bahagian dalam Haji, menurut angka rasmi.

Permit haji diperuntukkan kepada negara berdasarkan kuota dan diagihkan kepada individu melalui sistem loteri.

Pengakhiran haji bertepatan dengan permulaan Aidiladha – cuti perayaan tahunan yang ditandai dengan penyembelihan haiwan – biasanya kambing, biri-biri, lembu, lembu jantan atau unta.

AN-AFP

MINA, Saudi Arabia – Pilgrims were performing the last major ritual of the Hajj – the “stoning of the devil” – on Friday, as Muslims around the globe celebrated the beginning of the Eid Al-Adha holiday.

Starting before daybreak, the more than 1.6 million Muslims taking part in the pilgrimage threw seven stones at each of three concrete walls symbolizing the devil in the Mina valley, on the outskirts of the holy city of Makkah.

Droves of pilgrims had already set out of their camps and accommodations in the sprawling tent city in Mina before dawn, taking advantage of the shade and cool temperature.

The ritual commemorates Abraham’s stoning of the devil at the three spots where it is said Satan tried to dissuade him from obeying God’s order to sacrifice his son.

“Our experience in Mina was easy and simple. We entered and within five minutes we had completed the stoning of the devil at the ‘Jamarat’,” said 34-year-old Wael Ahmed Abdel Kader, from Egypt, after carrying out the ritual at dawn.

Howakita, a pilgrim from Guinea, said the prospect of celebrating Eid in Makkah filled her with joy.

“When I threw the stones I felt at ease. I was truly proud,” she said.

A day earlier, pilgrims converged on Mount Arafat, praying and reciting Qur’anic verses at the 70-meter rocky rise near Makkah, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his last sermon.

Many climbed the mount despite the searing heat, though numbers had thinned by midday following official warnings for pilgrims to stay inside between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

This year’s Hajj saw authorities implementing a range of heat mitigation efforts alongside a wide-ranging crackdown on illicit pilgrims – resulting in noticeably thinner crowds and a heavy security presence at holy sites in Makkah and surrounding areas.

The measures were aimed at preventing a fatal repeat of last year’s Hajj that saw 1,301 people die in temperatures that hit 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit).

Saudi authorities said a majority of those deaths were among pilgrims who illegally snuck into Makkah and lacked access to accommodation and other services aimed to keep pilgrims safe and protected from the searing desert heat.

This Hajj season has recorded the lowest number of pilgrims in over three decades, barring the years of COVID-19 restrictions from 2020-2022.

Last year, 1.8 million Muslims took part in the Hajj, according to official figures.

Hajj permits are allocated to countries on a quota basis and distributed to individuals by a lottery system.

The end of the Hajj coincides with the beginning of Eid Al-Adha – an annual feasting holiday marked by the slaughter of an animal – typically a goat, sheep, cow, bull or camel.

AN-AFP

MUWASI, Genting Gaza – Dengan Semenanjung Gaza yang musnah akibat peperangan dan pengepungan, rakyat Palestin bergelut pada Khamis untuk menyambut salah satu hari raya Islam yang paling penting.

Bagi menandakan Aidiladha – bahasa Arab untuk Hari Raya Korban – umat Islam secara tradisinya menyembelih seekor kambing biri-biri atau lembu dan memberikan sebahagian daripada daging kepada fakir miskin sebagai sedekah. Kemudian mereka mempunyai hidangan keluarga besar dengan gula-gula. Kanak-kanak mendapat hadiah pakaian baru.

Tetapi tiada daging segar telah memasuki Gaza selama tiga bulan. Israel telah menyekat penghantaran makanan dan bantuan lain untuk menekan Hamas supaya membebaskan tebusan yang diambil dalam serangan 7 Oktober 2023, yang memulakan perang. Dan hampir semua biri-biri, lembu dan kambing tempatan di wilayah itu mati selepas 20 bulan pengeboman dan serangan darat Israel.

Beberapa ternakan kecil yang tinggal dijual di kandang sementara yang didirikan di khemah besar Muwasi di bahagian selatan pantai Mediterranean Gaza.

Tetapi tiada siapa yang mampu membeli. Beberapa orang datang untuk melihat kambing biri-biri dan kambing, bersama seekor lembu dan unta. Beberapa kanak-kanak ketawa melihat haiwan itu dan melaungkan doa yang berkaitan dengan cuti itu.

“Saya bahkan tidak boleh membeli roti. Tiada daging, tiada sayur-sayuran,” kata Abdel Rahman Madi. “Harganya sungguh luar biasa.”

Hari raya itu memperingati ujian iman Nabi Ibrahim – Abraham dalam Bible – dan kesanggupannya mengorbankan anaknya sebagai penyerahan diri kepada Tuhan. Hari itu biasanya kegembiraan untuk kanak-kanak – dan hari apabila perniagaan berkembang sedikit apabila orang ramai membeli makanan dan hadiah.

Tetapi harga untuk segala-galanya telah melonjak di tengah-tengah sekatan, yang hanya sedikit berkurangan dua minggu lalu. Daging dan kebanyakan buah-buahan dan sayur-sayuran segar hilang dari pasar minggu lalu.

Di pasar jalanan di bandar Khan Younis yang berdekatan, beberapa gerai telah menyumbat mainan biri-biri dan pernak-pernik percutian lain serta pakaian lama. Tetapi kebanyakan orang pergi tanpa membeli apa-apa hadiah selepas melihat harga.

“Sebelum ini, suasana Aidilfitri, kanak-kanak gembira… Sekarang dengan sekatan, tiada tepung, tiada pakaian, tiada kegembiraan,” kata Hala Abu Nqeira, seorang wanita yang melihat melalui pasar. “Kami hanya pergi mencari tepung untuk anak-anak kami. Kami keluar setiap hari mencari tepung pada harga yang berpatutan, tetapi kami mendapatinya pada harga yang sukar dipercayai.”

Kempen Israel terhadap Hamas telah hampir memusnahkan keupayaan Gaza untuk memberi makan sendiri. PBB berkata 96 peratus ternakan dan 99 peratus ayam mati. Lebih 95 peratus daripada tanah pertanian sebelum perang Gaza tidak boleh digunakan, sama ada terlalu rosak atau tidak boleh diakses di dalam zon tentera Israel, menurut tinjauan tanah yang diterbitkan minggu ini oleh Pertubuhan Makanan dan Pertanian PBB.

Israel melarang semua makanan dan bekalan lain daripada memasuki Gaza selama lebih dua bulan. Ia melonggarkan sekatan dua minggu lalu untuk membolehkan trak bantuan masuk untuk diedarkan oleh PBB. Trak telah membawa masuk beberapa bahan makanan, terutama tepung. Tetapi PBB berkata ia telah bergelut untuk menyampaikan banyak bantuan yang masuk kerana rompakan atau sekatan tentera Israel.

Hampir keseluruhan penduduk lebih daripada 2 juta orang telah dihalau dari rumah mereka, dan kebanyakannya terpaksa berpindah beberapa kali untuk melarikan diri daripada serangan Israel.

Rasha Abu Souleyma berkata dia baru-baru ini kembali ke rumahnya di Rafah – dari mana keluarganya telah melarikan diri untuk berlindung di Khan Younis – untuk mencari beberapa harta benda yang ditinggalkannya.

Dia kembali dengan beberapa pakaian, cermin mata hitam plastik merah jambu dan gelang yang dia beri sebagai hadiah hari raya kepada dua anak perempuannya.

“Saya tidak boleh membelikan mereka pakaian atau apa-apa sahaja,” kata wanita berusia 38 tahun itu. “Saya pernah mengadakan daging pada hari raya supaya mereka gembira, tetapi sekarang kami tidak boleh mengadakan daging, dan saya bahkan tidak boleh memberi makan kepada gadis-gadis itu dengan roti.”

Berhampiran dengannya, sekumpulan kanak-kanak bermain buaian sementara yang diperbuat daripada tali bersimpul dan bergelung.

Karima Nejelli, seorang wanita pelarian dari Rafah, menegaskan bahawa orang-orang di Gaza kini telah menandakan kedua-dua Aidiladha dan hari raya utama Islam yang satu lagi, Aidilfitri, dua kali setiap satu di bawah perang. “Sepanjang empat hari raya ini, kami sebagai rakyat Palestin tidak melihat apa-apa jenis kegembiraan, tiada korban, tiada kuih-muih, tiada pembelian pakaian hari raya atau apa-apa sahaja.”

AN-AP