Thousands of American Muslims are making preparations for their upcoming pilgrimage to Mecca, or hajj, which falls this year on the first week of October. Twenty-five US Muslim groups sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry asking for protection during their journey to Mecca. Last year, Shiite Muslims from Detroit said they were attacked and threatened with death by a group of Sunni Muslims during the hajj but received little help from either Saudi or US authorities. The State Department said they take all threats against US citizens seriously and urged pilgrims to register their whereabouts with the State Department.