http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=127832&d=29&m=10&y=2009&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom
Thursday 29 October 2009 (11 Dhul Qa`dah 1430)
Don't politicize Haj, Riyadh tells Tehran
M. Ghazanfar Ali Khan I Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has rejected Iranian apprehensions that Iranian
pilgrims could be mistreated during Haj. Haj Minister Fouad Al-Farsy,
responding to continuous allegations by top Iranian leaders about the
"unprofessional conduct" of Saudi government agencies, has told Iran "not to
exploit the occasion of Haj for political purposes."
"The Kingdom is committed to ensuring that protection, all possible
comfort and respect is provided to all pilgrims," said Al-Farsy. He added that
the Kingdom's Supreme Haj Committee was doing everything possible to help all
performing the pilgrimage.
"Pilgrims from 85 countries come for Haj every year and all of them have
commended the Saudi government's efforts in this regard," Al-Farsy was quoted
by Al-Watan Arabic daily as saying.
The minister rejected the accusations of Iranian President Mahm-oud
Ahmadinejad and supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who remarked in Tehran
on Monday that Saudi Arabia might abuse pilgrims from Iran during Haj, which
begins next month.
Commenting on the accusations, Ibrahim Al-Quaiyid, a member of the
National Society for Human Rights of Saudi Arabia, said: "Iran has always tried
to create problems during the pilgrimage, which is evident from several
incidents in the past."
Al-Quaiyid rejected allegations Iranian pilgrims had been mistreated or
had their human rights violated. He said they had tried to stage violent
demonstrations on several occasions in the holy city of Makkah during Haj.
The official website of the Iranian presidency, said: "If Saudi Arabia
imposes restrictions on Iranian pilgrims... the Islamic republic will take the
appropriate measures."
Saudi Arabia has not barred the entry of pilgrims from any country.
Iranian women pilgrims were allowed to enter the Jannatul Baqi Cemetery in
Madinah for the first time last year in the presence of the Chairman of Iran's
Assembly of Experts Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Al-Farsy himself had inspected the Iranian pilgrims' accommodation on
Aug. 15 this year and spoke to the National Foundation of Iranian Pilgrims in
Makkah.
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