Avoid new shoes and look after your mental health. How to be well at the Hajj
ISLAMABAD — Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that is required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to do it.
It is a spiritual highlight for those fortunate enough to go, but it is also grueling and stressful.
Pilgrims conduct their rituals outdoors, among huge crowds, walking up to 25 kilometers (15 miles) a day. There is often no privacy or personal space. Languages, routines and surroundings can feel unfamiliar, and the emotional impact of doing the Hajj can also take its toll.
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It also partially restricts and limits the entry of people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Yemeni Americans — who are the largest Middle Eastern group in Detroit, Melvindale, Coldwater and Hamtramck, census data shows — already face challenges because of the war in Yemen that led to the shut down of all U.S. embassies and consulates. Trump's travel ban "will only add to this misery," Alsadah said. Metro Detroit, which has the highest percentage of Arab Americans among regions in the U.S., became an epicenter for challenges to Trump's first travel ban, often referred to as the Muslim travel ban since most of the nations were Muslim-majority nations. Nabih Ayad, a Detroit attorney, filed a federal lawsuit in Detroit in January 2017, shortly after Trump's first ban, on behalf of Muslims unable to travel to the U.S. to be with family members. 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The latest order is more detailed in its rules, which is helpful, but the problem in many cases is implementation, advocates said. Individual officials may not understand the details of the ban and apply a broad brush. Some officials "are not well trained, especially overseas at embassies in specific countries," Alsadah said. "So it's going to be hard for everybody." Christine Sauvé, the head of community engagement and communication for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, agreed with Tlaib that the ban is discriminatory. "The ban again targets Black, brown, and Muslim people who have recently fled places experiencing insecurity and strife," she said. "Many Michiganders have ties to the affected countries and it will sadly affect thousands of innocent people who are trying to reunite with loved ones, travel for college studies, or visit family for the holidays." Sauvé said the ban is the latest move by the Trump administration that cracks down on immigrants in Michigan and other states that is hurting communities and affecting local economies. USA TODAY contributed to this report. Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@ X @nwarikoo or Facebook @nwarikoo This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Donald Trump's travel ban to impact immigrants in Michigan
