Zamira Eshanova

Middle East: The Hajj (Part 4) -- Pilgrims Dismiss Terror Fears Amid Saudi Security Deployment

Saudi security forces preparing for this year's hajj Some 1.5 million-2.5 million Muslims are expected to take part in the world's biggest religious congregation -- the annual pilgrimage known as the hajj. Although the hajj is a spiritual ritual, there are fears that militants could try to disrupt the hajj as part of their ongoing resistance to the Saudi regime. While there is no history of terrorist attacks during the hajj, Saudi Arabia has been battling a wave of violence by militants linked to Al-Qaeda. More than 100 people have been killed, many of them foreigners, since May 2003. Some 50,000 Saudi security forces are reported to be deployed during this year's hajj, with some 10,000 of them assigned directly to security matters. In the fourth and final part of our series on the hajj, RFE/RL looks at what security precautions the Saudis are putting in place and speaks with pilgrims, who largely discount the terror threat. (In Part 1 --> /featuresarticle/2005/01/cf26e68a-2dc4-4ebc-9c22-32eeee5f8b45.html of this series, RFE/RL examines the history, rituals, and meaning of the pilgrimage; in Part 2 --> /featuresarticle/2005/01/3c24591b-8bed-42dd-ab5e-5d6bc90f84f9.html , RFE/RL reports that the number of young Muslims making the journey to Mecca appears to be growing; in Part 3 --> /featuresarticle/2005/01/4f5c109a-7670-426e-a3ec-cb4217782165.html , we look at complaints of bribery, corruption, and price gouging at the annual pilgrimage.)

Uzbekistan: Ozoda Eshmuradova -- 'Selling Her Hands' And Waiting For A Better Future (Part 1)

Mardikors gather at markets in the early morning in hopes of finding work In December 1977, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming 8 March as a commemorative day honoring women's rights and international peace. The tradition of marking a special woman's day stretches back nearly a century, and continues to unite women across the world regardless of ethnic and political boundaries. In this four-part series, RFE/RL profiles four extraordinary women in Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.

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