3 million Muslims begin annual hajj
Nearly 3 million Muslims from around the world, chanting and raising their hands to heaven, marched through a desert valley outside Mecca on Thursday on the first day of the annual hajj pilgrimage. Dressed in seamless white robes symbolizing the equality of mankind under God, the pilgrims hiked through the eight-mile valley to Mina, starting a series of rituals to cleanse themselves of sin. Full Story