Millions of Muslim Hajj Pilgrims Perform Symbolic Stoning of the Devil on Eid al-Adha
On the final day of the annual hajj pilgrimage, Muslims throw stone pebbles at walls representing Satan.

Read article here | Sunday, November 06, 2011
NZZ am SONNTAG: Millionen Muslime auf Pilgerfahrt Hadsch: Aufstieg auf Berg Arafat und Steinigung des Teufels » | dapd | Sonntag 06. November 2011

NZZ am SONNTAG: Blutiger Beginn des muslimischen Opferfestes: Bomben explodieren im Norden Afghanistans und im Irak » | dapd | Sonntag 06. November 2011

2.5 Million Pilgrims Prepare for Hajj

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Around 2.5 million Muslims begin Friday the rituals of the hajj pilgrimage, the world's largest annual assembly, leaving Saudi authorities with a daunting security and safety challenge.

Saudi authorities have mobilised some 100,000 security and civil defence personnel to insure a smooth pilgrimage and avoid deadly incidents that marred the extremely crowded rites in the past.

"We will mobilise all our means to prevent any harm against any pilgrim or any group of pilgrims," Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, who recently became the crown prince of the Muslim kingdom said on Tuesday.

He made the remark during an inspection tour of hajj preparations as anti-riot and anti-terrorism police paraded in front of the kingdom's internal security tsar as police and rescue helicopters hovered overhead.

The hajj rituals begin Friday and peak on Saturday when all pilgrims assemble in the Arafat plain outside Mecca, and end with Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, which will be celebrated on Sunday.

Around 1.7 million Muslims are due to descent on Mecca from around the world while between 700,000 and 800,000 pilgrims will be coming from inside Saudi Arabia. » | Thursday, November 03, 2011

Millions of Muslim Pilgrims Arrive in Mecca for Hajj
Islam's holiest site is heaving with pilgrims from around the world, many thousands of whom pray shoulder to shoulder outside Mecca's Grand Mosque as part of their hajj pilgrimage.

Read short article here | Friday, November 04, 2011

Pilger strömen nach Mekka
Schon 1,5 Millionen Ausländer in Saudiarabien eingetroffen
NZZ ONLINE: Über 2,5 Millionen Pilger werden auch dieses Jahr zur grossen Pilgerfahrt der Muslime in Mekka erwartet. 1,5 Millionen Ausländer sind schon in Saudiarabien eingetroffen. Die eigentlichen Feierlichkeiten beginnen am Freitag.

Zur diesjährigen Wallfahrt nach Mekka sind bereits mehr als eineinhalb Millionen Pilger in Saudiarabien eingetroffen. Wie die saudiarabische Nachrichtenagentur SPA am Montag berichtete, zählten die Behörden bis zum Samstagabend 1'575'000 Menschen aus dem Ausland.

Der für die Wallfahrt zuständige Minister Fuad al-Farsi erwartet laut jüngsten Angaben insgesamt etwa 1,8 Millionen ausländische Gäste. Zudem rechnet er mit bis zu 800'000 Teilnehmern aus Saudiarabien. Die Hajj beginnt eigentlich am Freitag in Mekka; doch viele Pilger versammeln sich schon früher. » | afp | Montag 31. Oktober 2011

Al-Haram during Hajj. Photograph: Google Images
Muslim Woman Teacher Sues U.S. School After Being Denied Three Weeks Unpaid Leave to Make Pilgrimage to Mecca
MAIL ONLINE: A school district is being sued for not allowing a Muslim teacher to take unpaid leave to make a pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Federal Government has brought the case on behalf of Safoorah Khan, claiming that it is a violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

It is the duty of every Muslim to join the million of pilgrims at the Hajj in Mecca at least once in their lifetime - and the middle school teacher had hoped to go in 2008.

Khan had started at Berkeley School, in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, in 2007 and asked for unpaid leave of three weeks to visit Saudi Arabia.

After the education district twice denied her request, Khan wrote to the board that 'based on her religious beliefs, she could not justify delaying performing Hajj'. Read on and comment >>> Mail Foreign Service | Tuesday, December 14, 2010

WikiLeaks Cables Portray Saudi Arabia as a Cashpoint for Terrorists
THE GUARDIAN: Hillary Clinton memo highlights Gulf states' failure to block funding for groups like al-Qaida, Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba

The terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab walks through the Chatrapathi Sivaji train station in Mumbai during the 2008 attacks. Lashkar-e-Taiba, which carried out the atrocity, is one of several groups that have raised funds via Saudi Arabia. Photograph: The Guardian
Saudi Arabia is the world's largest source of funds for Islamist militant groups such as the Afghan Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba – but the Saudi government is reluctant to stem the flow of money, according to Hillary Clinton.

"More needs to be done since Saudi Arabia remains a critical financial support base for al-Qaida, the Taliban, LeT and other terrorist groups," says a secret December 2009 paper signed by the US secretary of state. Her memo urged US diplomats to redouble their efforts to stop Gulf money reaching extremists in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"Donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide," she said.

Three other Arab countries are listed as sources of militant money: Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. >>> Declan Walsh in Islamabad | Sunday, December 05, 2010

JAN. 9, 2006 | OUTSIDE MECCA, Saudi Arabia | Pilgrims at Mount Arafat. American officials say fund-raisers for extremist groups descend on people taking part in the annual pilgrimage to seek money for their causes, according to leaked cables. Photograph: The New York Times
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Cash Flow to Terrorists Evades U.S. Efforts: WASHINGTON — Nine years after the United States vowed to shut down the money pipeline that finances terrorism, senior Obama administration officials say they believe that many millions of dollars are flowing largely unimpeded to extremist groups worldwide, and they have grown frustrated by frequent resistance from allies in the Middle East, according to secret diplomatic dispatches. >>> Eric Lichtblau and Eric Schmitt | Sunday, December 05, 2010

Hajis Envy Those Who Died During Pilgrimage
ARAB NEWS: MINA: Although many foreign pilgrims, especially the elderly and the sick, come for Haj with an innermost desire to die in the holy land, only a select few see their wishes realized.

Such people are honored with being buried in Jannat Al-Mala in Makkah or Jannat Al-Baqi in Madinah. Their relatives and friends then return home once the pilgrimage is complete. A number of pilgrims said they are envious of pilgrims who die while performing Haj or in the vicinity of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

Egyptian pilgrim Abdul Shafi Saeed came for Haj from Cairo and was accompanied by another pilgrim, Sayyid Khaleel Hassan, who died while in supplication at the plain of Arafat, the climax of the annual pilgrimage.

“Sayyid Khaleel breathed his last in his seamless white ihram while chanting Labbaik. He was blessed and fortunate to die at the most sacred place for Muslims on earth while performing the main ritual of the pilgrimage. Every pilgrim wishes to die such a death,” said Saeed. >>> Galal Fakkar, Arab News | Saturday, November 20, 2010

Haj 1431: To the photo gallery >>>

Hajj Rituals Test Saudi Arabian Authorities
THE GUARDIAN: Overcrowding and congestion as pilgrims camp out in desolate location

A young Muslim pilgrim has his head shaved, after throwing pebbles at a stone pillar representing the devil, in Mina near Mecca today. Photograph: The Guardian
While more than a billion Muslims around the world celebrated Eid today, those gathered in the Al-Masha'er district of Saudi Arabia proceeded with their hajj rituals – throwing pebbles at vast pillars, shaving their heads and sacrificing animals.

Shaving the head, or halq, is a fundamental act for all male pilgrims during the pilgrimage: Muhammad is said to have prayed three times for men who removed all their hair and only once for those who trimmed it.

The slaughter of an animal – qurbani – marks Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael at Allah's command. The ministry of hajj proudly announced earlier this month that more than 100,000 Somali sheep were on hand to cover the high demand for sacrificial animals, adding to the 400,000 waiting in Jeddah and the extra million already being imported. >>> Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent | Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Hajj Pilgrimage

How Very PC, CNN! Hajj Set to Begin

La Mecque: les pèlerins se rassemblent à Mina au premier jour du hajj
Le nombre total des pèlerins n'a pas été encore annoncé, certaines estimations évoquant quelque 2,5 millions de fidèles. Selon les autorités, 1,7 million de musulmans ont obtenu un visa pour le hajj, auxquels s'ajoutent 200.000 fidèles du royaume saoudien et de la région du Golfe autorisés à effectuer le rite. Photo : Le Point
LE POINT: Des centaines de milliers de fidèles ont commencé dimanche à affluer à Mina, près de La Mecque en Arabie saoudite, au premier jour du hajj, qui se déroule jusqu'ici sans incident majeur.

Le nombre total des pèlerins n'a pas été encore annoncé, certaines estimations évoquant quelque 2,5 millions de fidèles. Selon les autorités, 1,7 million de musulmans ont obtenu un visa pour le hajj, auxquels s'ajoutent 200.000 fidèles du royaume saoudien et de la région du Golfe autorisés à effectuer le rite.

Agissant avec fermeté, les autorités ont lancé une campagne de chasse aux pèlerins illégaux, arrêtant toute personne qui tenterait de s'infiltrer à La Mecque. Un chauffeur risque une amende de 10.000 riyals (2.667 dollars) pour chaque pèlerin illégal qu'il transporterait dans son véhicule.

L'affluence des fidèles à Mina marque le début officiel du hajj, au huitième jour du mois lunaire musulman de Dhou al-Hajja: c'est le jour de Tarwiah au cours duquel les fidèles faisaient, dans le passé, leurs réserves en eau en prévision de leur stationnement le lendemain sur le Mont Arafat.

La plaine de Mina, qui ne s'anime que cinq jours par an, la durée du hajj, abrite un camp de tentes blanches. Continuez à lire et réagir à cet article >>> AFP | Dimanche 14 Novembre 2010

Les musulmans entament le pèlerinage de La Mecque
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: ARABIE SAOUDITE | Des centaines de milliers de pèlerins affluaient ce mercredi à la vallée de Mina, près de La Mecque, pour entamer les rites d’un pèlerinage placé sous haute surveillance, en raison de la grippe H1N1.

A pied ou en bus, au milieu d’inextricables embouteillages, les pèlerins en tunique immaculée parcouraient la dizaine de kilomètres séparant la première ville sainte de l’islam de la vallée rocailleuse de Mina, où ils doivent passer la nuit.

Les autorités saoudiennes n’ont pas précisé le nombre total de pèlerins cette année mais selon une source officielle, le royaume a délivré des visas à 1,6 million de pèlerins étrangers, auxquels s’ajoutent des centaines de milliers de fidèles du royaume.

Près de 100.000 agents des forces de l’ordre assurent la sécurité du pèlerinage. Le personnel médical affecté au hajj est constitué de 20.000 personnes, face aux craintes d’une propagation de la grippe H1N1.

Peu de pèlerins portaient mercredi des masques en se rendant à Mina, malgré les injonctions des autorités. La route était sillonnée de cliniques mobiles et d’ambulances.

Des caméras thermiques ont également été placées aux entrées de la vallée de Mina pour détecter les pèlerins ayant une température élevée.

Ryad a toutefois écarté le risque d’une propagation de la grippe H1N1 durant le hajj, marqué jusqu’ici par l’annonce de quatre cas mortels parmi les fidèles. >>> AFP | Mercredi 25 Novembre 2009

Rain Soaks Hajj Pilgrims in Mecca
THE TELEGRAPH: Muslim pilgrims were forced to take shelter in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday as the opening of the annual hajj was hit by the heaviest rains in years and fears of swine flu.

Pilgrims seeking shelter from the heavy rain in Mina, Saudi Arabia. Photograph: The Telegraph
Muslims circled Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba, wearing traditional white robes, but they also bore new additions - umbrellas and face masks.

Saudi authorities had already geared up for months with precautions for fear that the pilgrimage could become a perfect incubator for the H1N1 swine flu virus. The event is one of the most crowded in the world, with more than 3 million people from every corner of the globe packed together shoulder to shoulder in prayers and rites for four days.

The unexpected downpours could worsen the perennial dangers of the gathering, particularly deadly stampedes.

Just a slip on a wet pavement at the hajj rites could be deadly.

In 2006, a dropped piece of luggage amid a moving crowd tripped people, causing a pile-up that killed more than 360 people at one of the holy sites.

This year's rains have brought fears of flash floods or mudslides in the desert mountains where the rites take place. >>> | Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Hajj Guiding: An Ancient Family Business
THE TELEGRAPH: The Saudi government might manage the hajj, but the people who make it run for two million or more pilgrims are a handful of old Mecca families who monopolise the muttawif, or hajj guide, business.

Muslim pilgrims pray on Noor Mountain in Mecca. Photograph: The Telegraph
Organised into six companies, each taking care of pilgrims from a specific part of the world, they make sure the people who have waited a lifetime to perform the hajj get through it.

"We take control of the pilgrim from when he first puts his foot on the soil of Mecca," said Imad Abdullah, waiting for a bus load of Indonesians arriving in the Muslim holy city for the annual pilgrimage.

"We organise the shelter, food, transport, the rituals, and try to resolve any problems that come up," said Abdullah, who specialises in pilgrims from south-east Asia.

In what is a lucrative trade, the families deploy their members for the few weeks a year to manage pilgrim groups for all the time they are in Mecca: holding onto their travel documents, organising visits to important sites, and at the end, shopping trips so they can return home laden with gifts and souvenirs.

It is a gruelling job, having to be on call day and night for a few weeks, but thousands of young Meccans, men and women, seek the job and its good salary.

For several days' work they earn from $800 (£481) to more than $5,000 dollars each, depending on their experience.

Knowing foreign languages is a particular asset for a muttawif guide, and some excel in the tongues of the region they handle.

It is an ancient business, helping foreigners unable to speak Arabic navigate their way through the lengthy hajj ritual.

Families have long controlled it, but before the 1930s it was not very disciplined.

Then King Abdul Aziz bin Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, organised the families into six companies, each with rights to handle pilgrims from a specific region.

Abdullah's family - in the business for 150 years, is part of one of the companies, and he has been a muttawif for 30 years.

"Our sons will inherit the job," he said. >>> | Monday, November 23, 2009

Islam: Schweinegrippe bedroht Millionen Hadsch-Pilger
WELT ONLINE: In diesen Tagen beginnt der Hadsch. Für Millionen Muslime ist die Pilgerreise der religiöse Höhepunkt ihres Lebens. Diesmal ist einiges anders, denn in Mekka herrscht Angst vor der Schweinegrippe. Saudi-Arabien bemüht sich um die Eindämmung des Problems mit Atemmasken, Thermo-Kameras – und Gebeten.

Mit Mundschutz: Eine Teilnehmerin des Hadsch am Flughafen von Dschidda. Bild: Welt Online
Ausgerechnet Schweinegrippe! Ausgerechnet jetzt! Das Schwein gilt im Islam ohnehin als unrein und wird gemieden, der Verzehr seines Fleisches ist Muslimen verboten. Unverständnis von Marokko bis Malaysia: Wie kann man sich denn da anstecken? Dass die Weltgrippe nichts mit Essgewohnheiten und auch nur entfernt überhaupt mit dem Schwein zu tun hat, kann die Muslime kaum beruhigen. Und das schlimmste ist: Der Hadsch steht bevor, die islamische Wallfahrt nach Mekka mit fast drei Millionen Pilgern aus rund 160 Staaten.

Was kommende Woche in Mekka geschieht, ist das exakte Gegenteil von dem, was die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) zur Eindämmung des H1N1-Virus empfiehlt: Hunderttausende Menschen in großer Enge und Hitze, die zusammen beten, essen und dieselben rituellen Gegenstände berühren. Der Pilgerort droht zum riesigen Inkubator zu werden. >>> Von Dietrich Alexander | Freitag, 20. November 2009

Swine Flu Kills Four in Saudi Arabia on Hajj Pilgrimage
BBC: Four pilgrims have died of swine flu as they take part in this year's annual Mecca pilgrimage, Saudi officials say.

Three of the victims, a woman from Morocco and men from Sudan and India, were in their seventies.The fourth was a 17-year-old girl from Nigeria.

The Health Ministry said none of the four foreign victims had been vaccinated against the H1N1 virus.

The latest figures from the World Health Organization show the virus has so far killed 6,750 people worldwide.

Up to three million Muslims from around the world take part in the holy pilgrimage every year, but health officials have expressed fears that it could provide a breeding ground for the virus. Egyptian fears >>> | Saturday, November 21, 2009

BBC: Video: Swine flu 'is not yet pandemic' >>> | Sunday, November 01, 2009

Swine Flu May Force Muslims to Abandon Haj Pilgrimage to Mecca
TIMES ONLINE: The annual Haj pilgrimage to Mecca could be under threat because of swine flu.

Britain today joined a growing list of countries in the MIddle East and Africa to issue advice to Muslim pilgrims not to travel to Saudi Arabia if they are elderly, pregnant, very young or have a long-term medical condition that may leave them more vulnerable to the disease.

The advice, issued by the UK’s Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims), follows a recommendation by Saudi health officials that anyone travelling to Mecca or Medina should receive the seasonal flu vaccine at least two weeks before their visit.

The Saudi authorities also said that pregnant women, children, chronically ill and elderly people should skip the Haj this year.

Quarantine facilities have been set up in Saudi airports and millions of vaccine doses have been pre-ordered.

The Association of British Hujjaj said that Saudi Arabia’s warning had “sent a shock wave” through Britain’s Muslim community.

The association’s health experts warned: “British pilgrims have always been at high risk of infections due to the crowded conditions at ceremonies, accommodation sites and on public transport. Therefore pilgrims must follow the guidelines issued by the authorities and they should be vaccinated against the swine flu virus once this vaccine is available at least two weeks before their departure to perform pilgrimage.”

In a statement today the association said: “Take the swine flu threat seriously, be safe than sorry and contact your doctor before travelling.” >>> Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent | Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Muslim Congressman's Hajj Paid for by Muslim Brotherhood Front Group
JIHAD WATCH: The Muslim Brotherhood "must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and "sabotaging" its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God's religion is made victorious over all other religions." -- "An Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Brotherhood in North America," by Mohamed Akram, May 19, 1991.

What does that have to do with Congressman Ellison? Everything. The Muslim American Society paid for his Hajj. And what is the Muslim American Society? The Muslim Brotherhood. >>> Robert Spencer | Friday, December 19, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
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Dhimmitude Alert! Haj Shows Islam’s Message of Justice, Equality: Brown
Why do we keep sending these gut-wrenching messages of goodwill to the Muslim community when they are not reciprocated?

Will the Muslim community send the Christian community a message of goodwill at Christmas? I think we all know the answer to this question!

So for Christ's sake (no blasphemy intended!), stop sucking up to the Muslims, Gord! – ©Mark

SAUDI GAZETTE: LONDON – The British Prime Minister sent his “warm wishes” and greetings to British Muslims on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha.

Gordon Brown in his message to the British Muslim Community said, “For me, the inspirational thing about Haj is the great stirrings for justice that shows in the Ummah. When people are drawn from each corner of the world, inspired by a shared and ancient ideal to act as one in the service of a better world – then it summons in us a truly modern hope that we can build a global society characterized by fairness and cooperation and respect.” “At this special time, we can also reflect upon and celebrate the tremendous contributions of British Muslims to our national life,” he added.

Britain’s foreign secretary, David Miliband also sent his greetings. “As Muslims all over the world, including in Britain, celebrate with their families, it is a good moment to reflect on the message that Eid carries for us all,” Miliband said. “Eid Al-Adha commemorates the sacrifice and steadfastness of Prophet Abraham, forefather of Muslims, Christians and Jews alike. These two qualities, of sacrifice and steadfastness, are ones that must guide what we do,” he said[.] [Source: Saudi Gazetter] | December 10, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>

Saudi Arabia: Asian Immigrant Forced to Clean Mosques for 'Skipping Prayers'
ADNKRONOS INTERNATIONAL (AKI): Riyadh - A Saudi civil court has ordered an Asian immigrant to clean mosques next month during this year's Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca after religious police caught him skipping Friday prayers several times, Saudi daily al-Watan reports. The man will have to clean five mosques along the highway into Mecca twice daily for eleven days, the court ruled.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs will be tasked with checking if the immigrant obeys the court order. If he fails to do so, the court has warned that he will be tried before a criminal court.

Instead of handing out custodial sentences, a number of Saudi judges have recently ordered minor offenders to clean buildings and cars, memorise the Koran (the Muslim holy book) or do community work.

Earlier this month, a judge ordered a young man to memorise part of the Koran and 40 sayings of the Prophet Mohammed as a punishment for appearing in public with a woman who was not a relative.

This year's Hajj is taking place in the first half of December. Last year, two million Muslim pilgrims attended.

The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is an obligation for all able-bodied Muslims to attend at least once during their lives, provided they can afford it. [Source: AKI] | November 18, 2008

Hat tip: Robert Spencer

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>

Wary of Islam. China Tightens a Vise of Rules
THE NEW YORK TIMES: KHOTAN, China — The grand mosque that draws thousands of Muslims each week in this oasis town has all the usual trappings of piety: dusty wool carpets on which to kneel in prayer, a row of turbans and skullcaps for men without headwear, a wall niche facing the holy city of Mecca in the Arabian desert.

But large signs posted by the front door list edicts that are more Communist Party decrees than Koranic doctrines.

The imam’s sermon at Friday Prayer must run no longer than a half-hour, the rules say. Prayer in public areas outside the mosque is forbidden. Residents of Khotan are not allowed to worship at mosques outside of town.

One rule on the wall says that government workers and nonreligious people may not be “forced” to attend services at the mosque — a generous wording of a law that prohibits government workers and Communist Party members from going at all.

“Of course this makes people angry,” said a teacher in the mosque courtyard, who would give only a partial name, Muhammad, for fear of government retribution. “Excitable people think the government is wrong in what it does. They say that government officials who are Muslims should also be allowed to pray.”

To be a practicing Muslim in the vast autonomous region of northwestern China called Xinjiang is to live under an intricate series of laws and regulations intended to control the spread and practice of Islam, the predominant religion among the Uighurs, a Turkic people uneasy with Chinese rule.

The edicts touch on every facet of a Muslim’s way of life. Official versions of the Koran are the only legal ones. Imams may not teach the Koran in private, and studying Arabic is allowed only at special government schools.

Two of Islam’s five pillars — the sacred fasting month of Ramadan and the pilgrimage to Mecca called the hajj — are also carefully controlled. Students and government workers are compelled to eat during Ramadan, and the passports of Uighurs have been confiscated across Xinjiang to force them to join government-run hajj tours rather than travel illegally to Mecca on their own.

Government workers are not permitted to practice Islam, which means the slightest sign of devotion, a head scarf on a woman, for example, could lead to a firing.

The Chinese government, which is officially atheist, recognizes five religions — Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Taoism and Buddhism — and tightly regulates their administration and practice. Its oversight in Xinjiang, though, is especially vigilant because it worries about separatist activity in the region.

Some officials contend that insurgent groups in Xinjiang pose one of the biggest security threats to China, and the government says the “three forces” of separatism, terrorism and religious extremism threaten to destabilize the region. But outside scholars of Xinjiang and terrorism experts argue that heavy-handed tactics like the restrictions on Islam will only radicalize more Uighurs. >>> By Edward Wong | October 18, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback & Hardcover (Hong Kong) >>>