The Guardian

With hajj under threat, it's time Muslims joined the climate movement

Scientists say global heating could endanger pilgrims as soon as next summer. This must be our call to action
‘The environmental threat to the holy pilgrimage is a panic button for British Muslims like me.’ Hajj pilgrims circulate around the the Kaaba in Mecca. Photograph: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

According to research published last week by US scientists, hajj is set to become a danger zone. As soon as next year, they say, summer days in Mecca could exceed the “extreme danger” heat-stress threshold. The news comes just weeks after over 2 million people completed their journey of a lifetime. The environmental threat to the holy pilgrimage is a panic button for British Muslims like me, signaling that the climate crisis is endangering an age-old sacred rite.

Hajj is a pillar of Islam that I’ve yet to undertake,

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