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No Problems Reported As Hajj Nears Finish VOA News 24 Feb 2002 05:15 UTC 
Saudi officials say there have been no major problems as this year's Muslim pilgrimage, or hajj, enters its final day.
In the last event of the hajj, two million Muslim pilgrims have lined up to take turns throwing pebbles at three giant pillars symbolizing satan. The ritual, which started Friday, is held on the Jamarat Bridge in Mena, near the Muslim holy city of Mecca.
Thousands of police, paramedics and civil defense personnel are on hand to monitor the event but Saudi officials report no accidents. Last year, 35 people died in a stampede during the stoning ritual. In 1998, 118 pilgrims were killed and another 180 were injured.
Meanwhile, Saudi leaders have issued a statement to the pilgrims, saying Islam forbids terrorism and that those who carry it out should be punished. The statement mentions no specific names or incidents but was released two days after a videotape confirmed the murder of U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl at the hands in Islamic militants in Pakistan.
The statement from Saudi Arabia's King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah also said people under occupation are entitled to fight for freedom and independence in an apparent reference to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.
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