Saudi Mufti tells Iranians hajj should not be politicized

Azhar clerics stress Saudi Arabia’s right to protect security of two holy shrines, Ihsanoglu amazed over row raised on time, place of hajj

Saudi shoura council chief denounces Iranian officials’ statements on hajj season

Preparations continue to develop services during hajj

Saudi Arabia's top cleric has warned against politicizing the hajj amid a war of words between Riyadh and Tehran over the annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah, Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat reported on Saturday.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh told the Saudi-controlled regional daily that making false claims about the hajj only confuses pilgrims and is sinful.

"Those who want to use the pilgrimage and spread falsehoods and propaganda for their personal goals and needs, doing this to take advantage of the occasion, are doing something forbidden by Islam," he told the newspaper.

Earlier this month, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei alleged that Saudi Arabia, a predominantly Sunni Muslim country, might abuse the mainly Shiite Muslim pilgrims from Iran during the hajj, which begins in mid-November.

On Monday, Ahmadinejad warned that Tehran would "take the appropriate measures" if Iranian pilgrims are restricted, while Khamenei raised the issue of alleged "insults and mistreatment against some Shiite Muslims," saying "the Saudi government must take action against such acts."

After those remarks, Saudi Hajj Minister Fouad al-Farsi said Iran "should not take advantage of the pilgrimage for political purposes and its own agenda."

Regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran are regularly at odds over Iran's claims of mistreatment of Shiite pilgrims to Makkah.

Several times during the 1980s, Iranian pilgrims mounted demonstrations in the holy city in western Saudi Arabia, and in 1987 Iranian pilgrims rioted, leading to more than 400 deaths.

The pilgrimage to Makkah is one of the five pillars of Islam, which the Koran holds as a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for every able bodied Muslim who can afford it.

In a statement after its weekly meeting, the Saudi cabinet said "the kingdom does not permit any party to disrupt the security of the pilgrims or to attempt to divide the ranks of Muslims," the official SPA news agency reported.

The cabinet called on the hundreds of thousands of faithful who have already begun to gather in the holy cities of Makkah and Medina to "do nothing to interfere with the successful progress of hajj rites."

The statement did not mention Iran, but it came one week after Saudi Hajj Minister Fouad al-Farsi said Iran "should not take advantage of the pilgrimage for political purposes and its own agenda."

Shoura Council Speaker Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Al-Sheikh, who is also a member of the Senior Scholars Commission, said that the exploitation of the Hajj season for political purposes separates Muslims and disturbs the performance of Hajj which is one of the pillars of Islam.

In a press statement, Sheikh Dr. Abdullah denounced what has been circulated by a number of Iranian officials regarding this year’s Hajj, stressing that the Kingdom’s policy does not allow whatever body to disrupt the pilgrimage, tamper with the security of pilgrims or split Muslim ranks.

Sheikh Dr. Abdullah highlighted the efforts exerted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to serve the pilgrims.

Commenting on the current Hajj season, the Makkah-based Al-Nadwa newspaper said the Kingdom is keen on enabling pilgrims to perform their rituals in comfort and ease.

It noted that there are indications that this year’s Hajj season will be one of the best Hajj seasons because excellent arrangements have been made to ensure the safety and security of the pilgrims, adding that the Kingdom has been honored by the service of the guests of God since their arrival to the Saudi territories until their departure to their home-countries.

The daily pointed out that the Kingdom has been always urging Hajj missions to spread awareness among the pilgrims prior to their arrival to the Saudi territories so that they can perform Hajj rituals properly.

Hajj is a pillar of Islam and the pilgrims should refrain from all matters that might cause unhappy developments during this important season, the paper added.

Prince Mohammad bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, inaugurated on Tuesday the launching of the British Hajj mission for this year’s Hajj season.

The ambassador delivered a speech in which he highlighted Saudi great efforts to provide all means of comfort and safety to the pilgrims.

In turn, the British secretary highlighted Saudi-British cooperation in the field of Hajj.

Chairman of Hajj Guides Foundation in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah met with Masood Majradi, Chairman of Iran’s Hajj Mission.

During the meeting, which was attended by several members of the foundation’s Board of Directors, a number of issues relating to ways of facilitating Hajj procedures for pilgrims and providing services to enable them perform the ritual in comfort and ease were discussed.