Some 1.2 billion Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha

Some 1.2 billion Muslim Pilgrims on Wednesday performed the last of al-Haj rituals and thereby to end this year's al-Haj season in which 35 pilgrims were at least killed in their rush to throw the fire at Mouna Valley last Monday which had marked the first day of Eid al-Adha, which was celebrated by all parts of the Islamic world.

Most of the pilgrims on Wednesday prayed at al- Haram mosque in Mecca and then walked around the Kaaba, a process which is considered the last performance of al-Haj rituals.

The first group of pilgrims started also on Wednesday to leave Mecca.

In a joint message sent to the pilgrims and broadcast by the Saudi mass media on Tuesday ( the day before yesterday) King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi crown prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz urged Muslims of the world to be united in order to defend their causes.

The message read that the Islamic nation is required at the meantime to extend the ties of unity and to amicably eliminate obstacles so as to be able to defend its causes and holy sites.

The message stressed Saudi Arabia continued backing of the Arab and Islamic states especially support for the just rights of the Palestinians to restore back their usurped rights and lands and Israel's withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Golan and from the Lebanese Shebaa farms.