In collaboration and partnership with King Abdulaziz Public Library, the British Museum here has meticulously finished all preparations for the opening ceremony of the major hajj exhibition entitled "Hajj: Journey to The Heart of Islam" to be held on January 26, 2012. It will be the first major exhibition committed to the Hajj, exploring the importance and history of this religious journey to be hosted ever by the British capital. The exhibition will highlight in details how more than three million Muslims perform annually the fifth pillar of Islam pillars. It will also highlight the efforts being exerted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in serving pilgrims and the development and expansion of Makkah and its holy Mosque as well as other holy sites to accommodate the annual increasing numbers of the pilgrims and visitors and to facilitate their performance of Hajj. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Qaisra Khan, project curator in the department of the Middle East section at the British Museum said that the Hajj exhibition will provide details on the importance of Hajj. She also said that the exhibition explains the importance of pilgrimage since the early days of starting this Islamic ritual, and also displays the first Hajj journey of the Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him. "The exhibition is also touring during the Hajj journey with time and geography to our present days in addition to reviewing the meanings of Hajj, which highlights the fact that the pilgrimage is a ritual, and a peaceful phenomenon, and that Islam is a religion of peace, since that nobody in the Hajj journey can dare to hurt the feelings of others or anyone," Ms. Khan asserted. She also termed the exhibition as a great opportunity for non-Muslims to identify closely with Hajj as one of Islam's pillars. --More
