More than a million Muslims have already flocked to Saudi Arabia in preparation for the start of the Hajj pilgrimage on September 10, which for many be the highlight of their spiritual lives. The kingdom’s regional and global clout with other Muslim countries generally benefits from its work in managing the hajj, and when Egypt, Pakistan and the Gulf Cooperation Council states defended Saudi Arabia this week against the supreme leader’s statements, it showed whose side they are on in the enduring Persian Gulf divide.
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Like every year, the Kingdom is all set to ensure a smooth and peaceful Haj this year as well.
“But since arriving at the airport we have been taken charge of and well supervised”.
Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani, a moderate mid-level Shia cleric, called on Muslims to unite and punish the Sunni Saudi government for its mismanagement of last year’s Hajj when at least 2,411 pilgrims (according to the Associated Press), among them 464 Iranians, were killed in a stampede – and for Saudi involvement in wars in Syria and Yemen.
When the multitude gathers today and tomorrow in the tent city at Mina ahead of the pilgrimage, some 61,000 Iranians will be absent. Around 1,000 surveillance cameras have been installed at the holy sites to monitor the crowds’ movement.
Many people have been wounded – even killed – by stones lobbed by pilgrims further back.
Subsequent pilgrimages avoided a similar disaster by spreading out the times that people can conduct the stoning ritual, and carefully controlling the number of people at the Jamarat at any one time to avoid bottlenecks. The bracelets will also guide worshipers about prayers’ timings and will provide a multilingual helpdesk to guide them around the holy sites.
Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran are regional rivals who have had no diplomatic relations since early this year. “But I am still very happy being here”. But it seems that the Iranian leaders are more interested in politics.
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State Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Pir Muhammad Amin-ul-Hasnat Shah, Chairman National Assembly Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Hafiz Abdul Karim, Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sohail Aamir, director Hajj Syed Imtiaz Shah and Pakistan Ambassador in Saudi Arabia Manzoor-ul-Haq would attend the meeting. In other words, they are closer to the fire-worshipping Zoroastrians of ancient Persia than real Muslims. Haj is the symbol of Muslim unity and brotherhood but unfortunately, the Iranian regime does not want like the unity of Muslims and wishes to create problems during Haj. We pray that may Allah accept the good deed of all those coming to the holy lands. “This is why they are criticising us”.
