10,000 Americans to perform Haj

RIYADH, 9 February — An estimated 10,000 American Muslims are preparing to embark on the annual pilgrimage to Makkah, according to Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR.) Hooper said the number of pilgrims from the US was on the rise despite the fallout from the Sept. 11 events. About 9,000 Americans performed Haj last year.