Muslim hajj pilgrims perform devil stoning ritual
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Pilgrims preforming the annual hajj in Saudi Arabia cast pebbles at three stone walls representing Satan in a symbolic rejection of temptation, as Muslims around the world celebrated Islam's biggest holiday, the festival of sacrifice.
Massive crowds of Muslims filed along a giant ramp that houses the walls in the Mina valley, pelting them. Some 3 million people from around the world were attending the hajj pilgrimage this year, and the stoning ceremony in the past has seen deadly crushes and pile-ups, though the building of the four-story-tall ramp in recent years has eased access and prevented stampedes. (AP)
