On the contrary, If some people were killed in Europe, the same global bodies would announce public mourning for them and the European leaders would converge to find a solution for the incident, whereas they simply put an end to thousands of innocent lives in Mina previous year because they did not serve their dirty financial benefits and the illegitimate support they receive from Saudi regime.
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Muslim pilgrims make their way at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Sept. 9, 2016.
This year is the first time in almost three decades that Iran has not sent pilgrims to the six-day religious gathering, with the stampede legacy heightening tensions between the two countries.
The hajj began on Saturday with about 1.5 million pilgrims, majority from overseas.
Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, Sheikh Abdullah Saleh, the deputy secretary general of Bahrain’s Islamic Action Society, highlighted the silence of the worldwide community regarding the crush of people in Saudi Arabia’s Mina in September 2015, which killed more than 7,000 pilgrims. Despite the safety and security measures which Saudi Arabia says it has taken, Iran has questioned the kingdom’s custodianship of Islam’s holiest places.
All able-bodied Muslims are required to perform the Hajj at least once in their lifetime.
Iran said 464 of its nationals died in last year’s crush, the largest number of deaths reported by any country.
Since arriving in Mecca over the past several weeks, hundreds of thousands have chanted, “Labayk Allahuma Labayk”, or “Here I am, God, answering your call”.
Mina becomes their base, where an expanse of white fireproof tents can accommodate 2.6 million pilgrims. They will head to an area called Arafat on Sunday for the pinnacle of the pilgrimage, an emotional day of repentance and supplication.
But Okaz said Sheikh had for about two decades prior to that given the annual address to the hajj throng at the site where Prophet Mohammed is said to have delivered his final sermon. The paper cited health reasons.
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On September 6, the Mufti had said Iranians are “not Muslims”, following Iran’s supreme leader fresh tirade over the kingdom’s handling of the Hajj pilgrimage.
