Bangkok--Jan 25--Francom Asia
CNN International Presents an Intimate View of ‘The Path of Pilgrims’
Airtimes: Saturday, January 29 at 19:30, 23:30
Sunday, January 30 at and 21:30 (replays)
From Jakarta to New York and Baghdad to Paris, more than two million Muslims are expected to take part in this year’s pilgrimage to Mecca. For the eighth consecutive year, CNN International will present exclusive images and stories from the Hajj, including a look at pilgrims making their way from these cities. Hosted by award-winning journalist Zain Verjee, CNN International offers a week of special coverage .
Through the eyes of the pilgrims, CNN International features several personal perspectives of the sacred journey. This year, CNN will offer a unique behind-the-scenes look at the pilgrimage of a three-generation Iraqi-American family who are given a camcorder to closely document their experiences. U.S.-based Imam Qazwini, a Shia Cleric, whose 14 family members were executed under Saddam Hussein, will be making this pilgrimage with his 18-year-old son. The two will meet up with their Iraqi grandfather in Medina.
“By allowing a camera on their journey, this family is letting the world bear witness to something very personal and we are pleased to be able to give our viewers such a distinct perspective of the Hajj,” said Rena Golden senior vice president, CNN International. “What's happening in the Middle East and the Islamic world are important issues for CNN viewers. Therefore, providing special insight into the Hajj is essential,” continues Golden.
Additionally, CNN International will track a young couple’s path of pilgrimage from New York. Twenty-nine year-old freelance journalist Dilshad Ali and her husband will be traveling to the Hajj for the first time this year, a journey inspired by both a personal near-death illness and by their son’s recent diagnosis of autism.
The special coverage will culminate in a half-hour program HAJJ: THE PATH OF PILGRIMS, as Verjee will look back on the events of the week through the experiences of these pilgrims.
CNN International will also present live coverage of the Hajj pilgrimage as Verjee travels from Jeddah to Mecca, whereby she will also be visiting the Iraqi ‘welcome center’ tent at the Hajj to take the pulse of these pilgrims in light of the upcoming elections and an increase in Hajj travel visas for Iraqi nationals.
In addition to highlighting the spiritual rejuvenation and the ritual elements, Verjee will also look at the planning required to travel to the Hajj through the eyes of a tour guide leading 1,200 people to Mecca. She will review the logistics of the Hajj and recount the months of preparation undertaken by the Saudi government as it prepares to cope with the major task of facilitating millions of people in a concentrated space. From the simple need of housing to the protection of religious sites, she will also examine the security concerns for Saudi Arabia.
Additional CNN correspondents contributing to this special week of coverage include Aneesh Raman with a report from Thailand profiling a village leader who plans to participate in the Hajj, Atika Shubert with an account of how the Tsunami has affected Indonesia’s large contingent of pilgrims, and Jim Bittermann in Paris with a look at how difficult it is to be a Muslim in secular France.
AIR TIMES AND GUESTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. End.