Iran cancelled the participation of its pilgrims in this year’s Hajj pilgrimage due to Saudi Arabia’s efforts to create obstacles in the way of Iranians seeking to perform the rituals.
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Saudi Arabia had said Iranians were still welcome at the hajj if they came from another country.
Hundreds of thousands of Iranian faithful held an alternative pilgrimage on Saturday in the Iraqi Shiite holy city of Karbala, according to an official at the shrine of Imam Hussein.
Iran previous year reported the largest number of stampede victims, at 464, and its 64,000 pilgrims are excluded for the first time in decades after the regional rivals failed to agree on security and logistics.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman said on Tuesday the haj should not be used to achieve sectarian or political aims, remarks likely to be seen as aimed at rival Iran, which is involved in a public quarrel with Riyadh over the management of the pilgrimage.
In recent weeks, rhetoric between the two capitals has escalated.
The accusations prompted verbal retaliation from Riyadh and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council of which Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia is the most powerful member. Able-bodied Muslims must do it at least once in their lives, and it’s one of five central pillars of the religion.
“Such edict has been issued neither in the current year nor in previous years and the news is incorrect, fabricated and libel”, read part of the announcement of Iran’s interest section.
White-robed pilgrims set off for Mount Arafat at sunrise from the valley of Mina, around seven kilometres northeast of Mecca. Security officials have placed 1,000 cameras at strategic locations to allow constant monitoring of events.
The annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia has entered its climax with 1.5 million Muslims today gathered at Mount Arafat to offer a day-long prayers and recitations from the Quran.
Among these is the distribution of digital bracelets to the pilgrims to help identify and guide them in the congestion.
Health, however, is only one concern.
Saudi Arabia claims that almost 770 people were killed in the stampede.
The post Millions of Muslims meet in Mecca for hajj pilgrimage appeared first on PBS NewsHour.
In Muzdalifa, they will collect pebbles to stone the Satan in Mina.
“Part of the rituals also includes feeding the poor”, said Tawfik Hamid, a senior fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.
They come from every corner of the globe for the Haj, but Indonesia – the most populous Muslim nation – has the largest contingent.
The Saudi Supreme Court revealed that Eid Al Adha will be on 12 September. In the Christian and Jewish version of the story, Abraham is ordered to kill his other son, Isaac.
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The first comes at the start of Eid al-Adha, the feast of sacrifice, Islam’s holiest, which is marked by more than 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide.
