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Saudi Arabia invites Iran for talks on Hajj return




RIYADH (DEC 30, 2016): Saudi Arabia on Friday invited Iran for discussions regarding next year’s Hajj and requested a return of its nationals to the pilgrimage.

Iranians refused to perform the pilgrimage this year after tensions between Riyadh and Tehran boiled over following a deadly stampede during the 2015 pilgrimage.

Authorities in Iran claimed they lost 464 people in the crush outside Makkah. They were among more than 2,300 people killed in the worst ever disaster to strike the Hajj — one of the five pillars of Islam — which capable Muslims must perform at least once.

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A Saudi Arabian daily reported that pilgrims minister in Arabia, Mohammed Bentin had opened discussions with more than 80 countries, including Iran, to work out the details of the 2017 hajj.

“Iran’s hajj delegation was invited to come to the kingdom” for preparations, it said in its report.

“Riyadh would welcome pilgrims for hajj and the smaller umra rite “irrespective of their nationalities or sectarian affiliations, including Iranian pilgrims”,” Bentin was quoted as saying by the newspaper.




 

M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.