We all hoped the rituals of the pilgrimage this year go quietly, and all Muslim pilgrims are back to their homes safe and secure, but the Iranian political and media mobilization that preceded the pilgrimage season this year wanted otherwise.
For those who do not know, Iran’s history with the seasons of Hajj is full of chaos and violence and political exploitation. Protests of Iranian pilgrims in 1987 resulted in deadly clashes, riots and acts of sabotage, banditry and fights with the rest of the pilgrims. Iran then boycotted the Hajj season for several years. Then the Almaasam tunnel conspiracy incident came in 1989 as pro-Iran Shiite pilgrims used poisonous gas in the tunnel resulting in the killing of thousands.
Before the beginning of the pilgrimage, the Iranian made plans to embarrass Saudi Arabia and to try to spoil the pilgrimage season this year in various ways and means. Meetings were held between the Iranian security and military officials and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and some political leaders in order to respond to the Saudi initiative to stop the brutal Iranian interference in Yemen. In August, someone linked to the Yemeni Houthi group posted on Facebook a threat that the pilgrimage season this year will see things “never seen in history”
The Saudi security arrangements prevent the Iranians from carrying out explosions or demonstrations, but some cheap tactics are used to raise panic and unrest among the millions of people and could lead to the killing of hundreds so that those Iranian officials could accuse the Saudi authorities of being incompetent and responsible for the deaths of pilgrims at the Mina ritual.
I do not uphold a conspiracy theory towards the Iranian regime, as it is the conspiracy itself, but this system has killed thousands of Iranians home and sacrificed them for its own survival, so it is capable of planning disturbances during the pilgrimage season. This year, “the rejection of the infidels” ritual, which Iran supports every year during the pilgrimage season, was planned to embarrass and pressure Saudi Arabia so that it ceases its efforts to stand up in the face of Iran’s regional control plans.
There are media reports circulating since yesterday of witnesses saying that there is a role for the Iranian pilgrims in the stampede in Mina, causing the death of more than 700 pilgrims and injuring hundreds. Some pilgrims said that the Iranian pilgrims were chanting political slogans which caused the scene. Others said that the Iranian pilgrims wanted to disrupt movement and to impede the Saudi security men. A witness told reporters that Iranian pilgrims collided with the pilgrims. The witnesses and surveillance cameras proved this and history confirms that Tehran’s mullahs are always planning to create chaos and disorder in the seasons of Hajj. They often fail because of Saudi security checks, but provocation proved effective this time. Why does Iran want to embarrass Saudi Arabia and cause the death of hundreds including some ninety Iranian pilgrims?!
Tehran does not think logic. The displacement of millions of Syrians and Iraqis resulted from its expansion plans, so it is not about just embarrassing Saudi Arabia.
A few days ago, Baqer Hosseini, a member of the National Security Committee of the Iranian Shura Council, called on to prohibit Saudi Arabia from managing Hajj Affairs and assign that to an OIC committee. Iranian Fars news agency said that given that the Kaaba belongs to the whole Islamic world, not to a country, it is better to assign its affairs to the OIC.
What Tehran really wants is a new sedition in the Islamic world. However, it will not succeed to convince anyone, but can cause confusion and division among Muslims.
Iran wants to take material power and spiritual prestige from Saudi Arabia. Some international and regional parties agree with that, given their agreement on the nuclear deal despite Iran’s history of terrorism and international law violation. They know the real battle for Iran is not with the West or Israel but is an inter-Muslim battle with neighbouring countries.
The Saudi authorities are making efforts, organizing and serving the Hajj season that other Arab and Islamic countries may not be able to make, but political exploitation can undermine Saudi Arabia’s efforts and all countries’ efforts for that matter. Iran has shown its ugly face and malicious objectives and intentions through declaring its goals and then pressing baseless charges.
The OIC should form a committee to investigate the crimes Tehran committed and continues to commit in pilgrimage seasons, so that about 1.5 billion Muslims know the bare truth.
