Even at Islam's holiest sites and during the most sacred time of year for Muslims, some people cannot stop talking about Donald Trump.
Among one group of American, Canadian and British pilgrims in Mecca this week for the annual hajj, the US President and policies they say target Muslims and immigrants are a regular conversation topic.
"People are irritated, angry, sombre, a little bit worried," said Yasir Qadhi, an Islamic scholar who travelled from Tennessee for his 14th pilgrimage.
"No one that I know is happy at the current circumstances or the current administration. No one, not a single person in this entire gathering."
- Confusion over Trump's new Muslim travel ban
- Donald Trump slams London mayor after attacks
- Britons plan mass-mooning for Trump visit
As a candidate, Mr Trump proposed barring Muslims from entering the United States. In office, he ordered temporary bans on people from several Muslim-majority countries, which have been blocked by courts that ruled they were discriminatory.
His administration has denied any intention of religious discrimination in the travel ban, saying it is intended purely as a national security measure.
But sharp rhetoric about the threat posed by "radical Islam" which was a central part of his campaign has also drawn accusations he risks alienating more than three million Americans who practise Islam peacefully.
The hajj, a five-day ritual which retraces the journey the Prophet Mohammad took 14 centuries ago, is a religious duty once in a lifetime for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it.
It is the world's largest annual Muslim gathering, with over 2.3 million people attending this year
Malaysian pilgrim Abdul Azim Zainul Abideen said the President should stop what he called his attacks on Islam.
His sister, 27-year-old Anisa, said she was worried by reports of an uptick in violence against Muslims in the United States "just because of wearing hijab in the streets or just because you have a beard".
Islamic State has carried out or inspired deadly attacks around the world after proclaiming a self-styled caliphate in Iraq and Syria to rule over all Muslims. The ultra-violent group has been widely denounced by Muslim religious and political leaders.
Reuters
