Publish date22 Aug 2017 - 9:17
Story Code : 280526

Number of Sunni pilgrims to KSA increases significantly

Head of Hajj and pilgrimage affairs in West Azarbaijan apprised of deploying 10 groups from Sunni areas and 8 groups from Shiite Quarter to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj rituals.
Number of Sunni pilgrims to KSA increases significantly


In an exclusive interview, Head of Hajj and pilgrimage affairs in West Azarbaijan apprised Taqrib News Agency (TNA) of departing 10 groups from Sunni areas and 8 groups from Shiite Quarter to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj rituals.

The total pilgrims from West Azerbaijan are 2510, of which 96 are clergy, director and crew receptors serving pilgrims during this time.

The largest number of pilgrims belongs to the city of Urmia and Khoy and in terms of gender distribution it can also be said that this year the number of women equal to men.

Riyadh cut its ties with Tehran in early 2016 after violent protests in front of its Iran-based diplomatic missions against the kingdom’s earlier execution of leading Saudi Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. It then prevented Iranians from joining the religiously-momentous rituals that year by refusing to set up an ad hoc mechanism enabling their travel to the kingdom.

A year earlier, a deadly human crush had occurred during Hajj rituals in Mina, near the Saudi holy city of Mecca, killing thousands of pilgrims, including hundreds of Iranians. The incident had also cast doubt on the kingdom’s efficiency in hosting the rituals.

In January, however, Iran said it had been sent an invite by Saudi Arabia announcing the latter’s willingness to host Iranian pilgrims.

Earlier in July, Iran’s Culture Minister Reza Salehi Amiri said Riyadh had provided “written assurances” that it would meet all of Tehran’s conditions with regard to ensuring security for Iranian pilgrims in the upcoming Hajj ceremony.

Some 55,500 Iranian pilgrims would have been accommodated in Mecca, and 7,500 others Medina, another holy Saudi city. Flights continued to take pilgrims from the Islamic Republic to airports in Medina, and the Saudi port city of Jeddah.

/SR
 
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