Head of Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization: Pilgrims and Caravans Should Not Give Saudi Arabia an Excuse

The head of Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, Hamid Mohammadi, noted that the political relations between the Islamic Republic and Saudi Arabia are severed during this year's Hajj, and that Iranian pilgrims and caravan officials must behave in a way that does not give Saudi Arabia any 'excuse'. He stated that this year's Hajj differs from previous years due to the lack of political relations between the two countries. Mohammadi emphasized that, due to the insistence of Shia religious authorities on the presence of Iranian pilgrims at the Hajj, this matter has been pursued separately from the bilateral issues. He stressed, 'This year, we will have no political relations with Saudi Arabia, although given the tense political climate in Saudi Arabia, we must act in a way that does not provide them with an excuse.' Mohammadi did not provide further details on this recommendation. In late April, Akbar Ranjbarzadeh, a member of the Iranian Parliament's presiding board, reported Saudi Arabia's condition for the Islamic Republic regarding holding the Dua-e-Kumayl ceremony in a closed space at the hotel where Iranian pilgrims stay. Iranian pilgrims last participated in the Hajj in 2015, during which over two thousand people lost their lives due to overcrowding in the Mina area, including more than 460 Iranians. The verbal disputes between Iranian and Saudi officials following this incident and their failure to reach an agreement on the conditions prevented Iranian pilgrims from attending the Hajj in 2016. Mohammadi also stated that the security of pilgrims in this year's Hajj has been explicitly emphasized in a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia, but caution must be taken to ensure that some individuals do not compromise travel security to increase discord and undermine the tradition of Hajj. This year, Iranian pilgrims will also use electronic wristbands. Ali Qazi Asgar, the representative of the Supreme Leader in Hajj affairs, announced that these electronic wristbands are 'designed and manufactured domestically' and have no connection to Saudi Arabia. The House of Nation website, affiliated with the Parliament, also reported that these wristbands are made by the Iranian company SAA Iran, which is linked to the Ministry of Defense, and Saudi Arabia has not accepted that they have GPS capabilities. According to this report, the information from these wristbands can only be accessed by electronic devices held by Iranian officials present in Saudi Arabia. However, several members of Parliament have protested the use of these wristbands by Iranian pilgrims. For instance, Yahya Kamali Pour, a representative from Jiroft, stated that the use of electronic wristbands 'questions the dignity of the pilgrims.' Mohammad Javad Abtahi, a representative from Khomeini Shahr, also said that 'the security of pilgrims' lives should be ensured through other means and not by seeking an electronic wristband equipped with a locator.' Previously, reports had also emerged about the installation of 'thousands of surveillance cameras' at the accommodation sites of Iranian pilgrims and the 'presence of security forces among male and female Iranian pilgrims in disguise,' which the head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization denied. Meanwhile, videos have circulated on social media showing shoes being thrown at Iranian pilgrims by some Saudi citizens. Ibrahim Asadollahi, the head of public relations for the Hajj Organization, denied these reports on Sunday, stating that the videos pertained to altercations among Saudi citizens in previous years. He emphasized that the first caravan of Iranian pilgrims would depart for Saudi Arabia on August 1, 2017.