Examining new strategies to increase pilgrimages to Syria
During the meeting of the Planning and Coordination Council of the Supreme Leader’s Representative Office and the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, new solutions to increase pilgrimages to Syria were discussed.
According to the Hajj information base, the meeting of the Planning and Coordination Council of the Supreme Leader's Representative Office and the Organization of Hajj and Pilgrimage was held under the chairmanship of Hojjat al-Islam Seyed Abdolfattah Navvab, the Supreme Leader's representative for Hajj and Pilgrimage and the head of Iranian pilgrims.
During the meeting Hojjat al-Islam Navvab while referring to the number of the Iranian pilgrims in Syria during the three stages of decrease in the conflicts, as well as before and after the spread of the coronavirus, said that under the current situation, pilgrims under the supervision of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization are sent to Damascus only from Khorasan Razavi Province.
Referring to the increase in the presence of pilgrims from Iraq and the countries bordering the Persian Gulf in Syria, the Supreme Leader’s representative said that the flight is presently the main problem in sending pilgrims from Tehran and other provinces to Syria.
He expressed hope that the problems of this pilgrimage would be solved and more Iranian pilgrims would visit the shrine of Hazrat Zeinab (SA) and Hazrat Ruqiyyah (SA).
Also speaking during the meeting, Head of Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Seyed Sadeq Hosseini also positively evaluated the follow-up for allocating a credit line with an approved rate to provide foreign exchange for the three-month period of pilgrimage to Atabat, and said, “Providing this amount by the Central Bank in reducing the cost of the trips will positively affect the pilgrimage to Atabat.
Deputy Head of Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization for Atabat Affairs Hojjat al-Islam Sohabatollah Rahmani also reported on the follow-ups and measures taken to solve the problems of the caravans sent to the Pilgrimages in the areas of health and treatment, accommodation, transportation, food and performing pilgrimages in Najaf, Kazzamain and Samara, and said, “Efforts have been made to respect the rights of pilgrims by pilgrimage companies.”
Meantime, a senior expert, Hossein Akbari termed the pilgrimage as an opportunity and a privilege in the political, economic and spiritual relations of the two countries of Iran and Syria and reminded the need to use the existing capacities to increase the journey of Iranian pilgrims to Damascus. .
“Efforts should be made to provide the necessary facilities in this way to serve the pilgrims as well as possible, and the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization should send more caravans to the Holy Place,” he added..
The meeting continued with the report by Deputy Head of Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization for Hajj and Umrah Akbar Rezaei regarding the follow-ups for sending executive teams to Saudi Arabia and finalizing agreements with Iran Air to transport pilgrims to the Land of Revelation in the upcoming Hajj.
Meantime, Hojjat al-Islam Navvab said that action should be taken to get the best and most economical services from service companies and emphasized the role of flights in speeding up the transfer and return of pilgrims from Saudi Arabia and the duration of the trip.
At the end of the meeting, Vahid Eskandari, General Director of Public Relations of Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, reported about the services provided at the service desk of this organization.
