Head of Iranian Pilgrims Elaborates on Arrest of An Iranian Cleric in Saudi Arabia
Hojjat al-Islam Seyed Abdolfattah Navvab, the representative of the Supreme Leader in Hajj and Pilgrimage Affairs and the head of Iranian pilgrims, while addressing a gathering of Iranian pilgrims in Mecca, referred to the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Javvad (AS) and narrated a hadith from this Imam, and said: Imam Javvad (AS) says: A believer needs success from God, a preacher and a mentor from within, and accepting the advice of compassionate people.
In part of his speech under the second part of this hadith, namely the believer’s need for a preacher and a mentor from within, he referred to the issues related to the publication of a clip of one of respected Iranian clerics in social media over the past 24 hours, and said: “Given the knowledge I have of this country through years of successful service in Umrah and Hajj, I was surprised when I heard these words and such words should not have been said.”
The head of Iranian pilgrims, emphasizing that the statements of this respected cleric are his personal opinion, noted: He is an active Quranic cleric and for this reason, even more is expected of him.
Hojjat al-Islam Navvab continued: “However, we expect the respected officials of the host country to allow him to perform his Hajj and return to the country, given the personal nature of this respected individual’s view and out of respect for the services he has rendered to promoting Quranic culture.”
Referring to the Islamic Republic of Iran being neighbors to 15 countries, he said that each of these countries has a specific type of government; some are governed by a monarchy, some by a republic, and some in a different way, and each country’s governance system is respected for its own sake; therefore, "we believe that any sovereignty is respected if it is based on the consent of its people".
The representative of the Supreme Leader for Hajj and Pilgrimage Affairs continued: Regarding the Saudi Arabia's hosting of pilgrims, "we also see that more steps are taken every year and more services are provided to pilgrims, some of which are invested by this country itself".
Hojjat al-Islam Navvab continued: Of course, in the history of this land, every government that has come to power has tried to serve the pilgrims of the Sacred House of Allah, and their efforts have been to serve the pilgrims, and in every period, especially in the modern era, there has been the development of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque (PBUH).
He also referred to the respect for pilgrims in other countries such as Iran and Iraq, and said that the developments that are taking place today in Iraq in the shrine of the infallible Imams or holy places are unprecedented, and in Iran, the developments that are taking place in the shrine of Imam Reza (AS), especially the courtyard of the Last of the Prophets (PBUH), which has been added to this shrine, are very big measures.
