MOSCOW (AP) — The plunge in the ruble currency is making Russians’ travels abroad hugely more expensive. For thousands of the country’s Muslims, that means more than just canceling a beach vacation, but putting on hold a once-in-a-lifetime religious experience — the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca.Islam’s hajj pilgrimage, which all Muslims are obliged to carry out at least once, begins Sept. 21 and due to the ruble’s slump in currency markets now costs almost as much as the average annual salary in some of Russia’s often poor Muslim regions.The result is that this year little more than …read more
Source: Business Insider
