DESPITE their well-intended plans for serious worship, things did not go as they had expected. Three weeks ago, a group of 200 or so pilgrims—which should have already arrived in Mecca for the haj—was left stranded on the runway. The Indonesian Airlines airliner they boarded was not cleared for takeoff. This was not on account of inclement weather, but because Saudi Arabia had not given this private airline company—one that just