Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia Responds to Khamenei's Message: Iranians Are Not Muslims

The senior cleric of Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, reacted on Tuesday, September 6, to a recent message from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei regarding this year's Hajj, stating that Iranians are 'not Muslims.' According to the Associated Press, Al Sheikh expressed that Khamenei's remarks are 'not surprising' as Iranians are descendants of 'Zoroastrians.' The term 'Zoroastrians' is used by radical Arabs to refer to followers of Zoroastrianism, who regard fire as a sacred element. This religion was the main faith of Iranians before the Arab invasion 1400 years ago. Al Sheikh stated, 'We must realize that they (Iranians) are not Muslims, they are descendants of Zoroastrians, and their animosity towards Muslims, especially Sunnis, is longstanding.' The Grand Mufti's comments came a day after Iran's leader accused Saudi officials of 'killing injured pilgrims' in the Mina incident that occurred last year. Ayatollah Khamenei stated that 'heartless and criminal' Saudi men 'imprisoned the half-dead injured with the deceased in sealed containers and instead of providing treatment and help or even bringing water to their thirsty lips, they led them to martyrdom.' According to an estimate by the Associated Press, at least 2,426 people were killed in the Mina incident in September 2015, with 464 of them being Iranian, the highest number of casualties among Islamic countries. This incident led to an attack by a group of plainclothes individuals on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad, ultimately severing diplomatic relations between the two countries. Saudi officials have yet to release any reports on the causes of this incident. Initial investigations indicated that two main routes for the pilgrims were blocked at the time of the incident. In his message on Monday, Ayatollah Khamenei also accused Saudi Arabia of negligence in the crane collapse incident near the Grand Mosque in Mecca that occurred before the Mina incident, which killed 111 people. The Iranian leader urged Muslims worldwide not to 'let go of the collar' of Saudi officials 'for the crimes they have committed across the Islamic world.' Khamenei also referred to Riyadh's leaders as 'inciters of discord' who, according to him, 'by forming and equipping Takfiri and evil groups, have plunged the Islamic world into internal wars and the killing and injury of innocents, staining Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and several other countries with blood.' The exchange of hostile messages between the officials of Iran and Saudi Arabia indicates their efforts to blame each other for regional incidents. Predominantly Sunni Saudi Arabia and predominantly Shia Iran are currently engaged in proxy wars in Syria and Yemen and support conflicting groups in Iraq, Bahrain, and Lebanon. Diplomatic relations between Tehran and Riyadh have been severed since last December when radical groups in the Islamic Republic set fire to the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad. Negotiations between the two countries for the participation of Iranian pilgrims in this year's Hajj have failed, leading Iran to accuse Saudi officials of sabotage. Tehran has stated that Iranian pilgrims will not participate in this year's event. The Saudi Ministry of Hajj also responded in May, stating that the Iranian government is responsible for its decisions before God and the world regarding Hajj. Mohammed bin Nayef, the Crown Prince and Minister of Interior of Saudi Arabia, also stated on Monday evening that 'the officials of the Islamic Republic, for internal reasons, prevented Iranian pilgrims from traveling to Saudi Arabia and are seeking to politicize Hajj and turn it into a ceremony contrary to Islamic teachings.' The Hajj ceremony is set to begin next week.