Iran - Afghan Consultations on Hajj, Umrah and Atabat

As reported by Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Information Base, Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan hajj officials in a video conference discussed and exchanged views about Hajj, Umrah and Atabat yesterday afternoon and welcomed the development of cooperation between the two countries in these fields.

During the virtual meeting, Supreme Leader's Representative in Hajj and Pilgrimage Affairs and Supervisor of Iranian Pilgrims Hojjat al-Islam Seyed Abdolfattah Navvab, head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Mr. Ali Reza Rashidian and Minister of Guidance, Hajj and Endowments of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mawlavi Mohammad Qasim Halimi expressed their views on the future hajj.

The Afghan side at the video conference called for more consultation, exchange of views and interaction with the Iranian Hajj and Pilgrimage officials in order to provide better services to the pilgrims of their respective country.

Iran and Afghanistan Hajj officials by saying at the meeting that the Hajj was limited to Saudi pilgrims and foreign nationals living in this country last year, clarified: the opportunity to organize sending pilgrims to the land of revelation is very small countries and despite the follow-ups, Saudi Arabia has not yet announced the countries' quota for this year's Hajj.

Chairman of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization also referring to the instruction of Saudi health Ministry regarding the upcoming Hajj, said that one of the demands of the hajj-related groups in Islamic countries is for Saudi Arabia to determine the issue of the upcoming Hajj as soon as possible.

At the continuation of this meeting, Supreme Leader’s representative in Hajj and Pilgrimage Affairs emphasized the readiness of our country’s Hajj and Pilgrimage complex to present their experiences in different parts of Hajj, Umrah, Atabat and Arbaeen to friendly and neighboring country Afghanistan and explained how to organize pilgrimage caravans in these areas.

The parties also expressed at this meeting, their views on the possibility of sending Afghan refugees living in our country to the Hajj Congress, and the Afghan side proposed to prepare a plan in this regard so that a quota can be allocated to this group with Saudi interaction and the quota would be available to our country.

Hojjat al-Islam Navvab further mentioned the interest of Afghan citizens traveling to the Atabat-e-Aliyat, especially Arbaeen period, and called on the Afghan side to work for cooperation and interaction between the relevant ministries of the two countries to use our territory for this group of pilgrims.

Mr. Rashidian also announced at this meeting: Our country's Hajj and Pilgrimage Complex is ready to share its experiences in the last four decades in various parts of this field with the Afghan side by holding expertise meetings.

Chairman of Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization also referred to the questions of Afghan hajj minister  about the registration process in recent years and the number of people in turn to be sent to hajj and Umrah in our country and explained how to organize hajj caravans and providing services to pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.

Mawlavi Mohammad Qasim Halimi also stated at this meeting: The Islamic Republic of Iran has made good progress in the field of Hajj and pilgrimage and we are interested in using these experiences.

Minister of Guidance and Hajj of Afghanistan also called for using our country's experiences in the areas of registration and dispatch of pilgrims and the use of clerics in Hajj, transfer of pilgrims to the land of revelation and provide services to them in Mecca and Medina.

He said we can work together to open a new page in relations between the two countries; the government and people of Afghanistan wish peace, tranquility and progress to their neighbor country , Islamic Republic of Iran.

At the beginning of the meeting, Hajj and Pilgrimage officials of Iran and Afghanistan, while praising the heroic resistance of the Palestinian people against the Zionist occupiers, congratulated the Palestinians on their victory in the Gaza war and emphasized with the unity of Islamic Ummah, the land of Palestine and Holy Quds can be freed from the clutches of Zionist occupiers and return to the arms of this nation.

Supreme Leader's Representative in Hajj and Pilgrimage Affairs and Supervisor of Iranian Pilgrims also condemned the recent crimes of terrorist groups in martyring dozens of oppressed Afghan girls and a group of university professors and expressed hope that insecurity in the country would end soon and that the innocent people of Afghanistan would see peace and tranquility.