Following Sexual Assault in Jeddah, Proposal to Temporarily Cancel Umrah Pilgrimage in Parliament

After the news of the sexual assault on two Iranian teenagers at Jeddah airport was published, some members of the Iranian parliament are seeking to gather signatures for an urgent proposal to "suspend Umrah travel" until further notice. Mohammad Saleh Jokar, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian parliament, stated on Wednesday, April 19, in an interview with the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) that the incident at Jeddah airport was discussed in parliament. He mentioned, "The proposal raised in the Security Commission was to suggest to the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization that Umrah travel be suspended until further notice due to the actions of the Al Saud officials." Jokar emphasized that the officials of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization should reconsider and make a serious decision regarding Umrah travel, stating, "We urge the government not to back down on this issue and to restore our credibility; we must have a stronger stance on this matter." On Tuesday, April 17, the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister reported that during the second week of the Nowruz holidays, while inspecting an Iranian Umrah caravan, Jeddah airport officials separated two Iranian teenagers under the pretext of suspicion and subjected them to sexual harassment. Hassan Qashqavi, the Deputy Foreign Minister, stated that Iran's "strong protest against this heinous act" was presented to the Saudi chargé d'affaires, and they are awaiting Riyadh's response and the imposition of severe punishment on the perpetrators. Meanwhile, Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a Shia cleric, remarked on Wednesday, April 19, that "the Jeddah incident should not have been publicized," questioning, "Is it necessary to go on a recommended pilgrimage and endure every insult to fulfill a recommended act?" According to Fars News Agency, this cleric further stated, "I ask Saudi officials, if there is no security at Jeddah airport, will there be security in the streets of Jeddah? Jeddah airport is an international airport; if there is no security there, people will certainly be afraid." The Iranian Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization issued a statement following the publication of the news regarding the sexual assault on the two Iranian teenagers by Saudi officials. According to the Saham News website, close to Mehdi Karroubi, the statement mentioned, "Last week, during the return of one of the dispatched Umrah caravans in the final inspection section at Jeddah airport, two airport police officers attempted to assault the two teenage pilgrims under the pretext of inspection, and the offenders were identified and arrested." Another part of the statement read, "The Office of the Supreme Leader and the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, in appropriate cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, upon learning of this unforgivable incident, took serious and continuous actions and follow-ups at the highest levels of the relevant Saudi officials to protect the rights of pilgrims and punish the offenders." The statement concluded, "The Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization emphasizes that, based on the commitment of senior Saudi officials, the offenders will soon be tried and severely punished." Meanwhile, the families of the two Iranian teenagers who were sexually assaulted at Jeddah airport have detailed the incident in an interview with the 'Dolat-e Bahar' website. A family member of the first victim described the incident: "Our caravan was scheduled to fly from Jeddah airport to Tehran at 1 AM on April 8. During the inspection, Saudi officials separated the two Iranian teenagers under the pretext of further inspection and transferred them to a room; then, a Saudi officer positioned his weapon behind the first victim and told him in Persian to just shut up and not speak while he committed his heinous act." This family member continued, "The Saudi officers sent the first victim outside, but due to severe shock and fear, he did not tell anything to his family or the caravan officials; meanwhile, the Saudi officers assaulted the second victim as well and then sent him outside the room. However, the second victim told the story to his family and caravan officials, and with the protest and outcry of the family and caravan members, the incident spread, and the Iranian pilgrims refused to board the plane in protest against this crime." According to the family member of the first victim, forensic experts examined the condition of the two teenagers on-site and confirmed the assault. The father of the first victim commented on the actions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, stating, "So far, they have not told us anything, and only the caravan manager has informed us that the Iranian consulate is following up; I wish Iranian security personnel were at the airport. At least one person who is fluent in Arabic should be present in every caravan." The father of the second victim also mentioned the follow-up by Iranian officials after the incident, saying, "We contacted the Iranian consulate in Jeddah, and their representative was present at the airport and was involved in drafting the incident report; nearly two weeks have passed since this incident, and to date, none of the officials from the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have approached us to follow up on the matter and clarify its dimensions." In this regard, on Tuesday, Mehdi Davatgari, the head of the National Demands Committee of the parliament, announced that "following the protests and outcry of these teenagers, the officials were unable to complete their heinous act, and other Saudi officers prevented their heinous actions and apparently arrested them."