Official Warns of Enemy Plots to Divert Attention from Palestine

“This new ploy has emerged in the shape of inciting ethno-sectarian wars,” Head of Hajj and Pilgrimage Affairs Organization of Iran Hojjatoleslam Seyed Ali Qazi Asgar said in a gathering of Hajj pilgrims in the holy city of Mecca.

He further explained that the sectarian acts of violence that have occurred in recent years are strongly rejected by Islam, and added, “This is clearly obvious that this plot has been devised to distract the public attention from the issue of Palestine.”

In similar remarks, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei had on August 31 described foreign interference as the root cause of the ongoing conflicts across the region.

“The main reason behind the current situation in region is various meddling from outside the region,” Ayatollah Khamenei stated in a meeting with visiting Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said in Tehran.

The Leader also warned against pushing religious and sectarian considerations into political disputes, and said, “Unfortunately, with some regional countries’ support, a Takfiri group has been shaped which is in conflict with all Muslim groups. But supporters of this (Takfiri) group should know that this fire will burn them as well.”

Also on September 11, the Leader denounced the enemies of the Islamic world for trying to stoke sectarian tension in Muslim countries, which has resulted in the death of hundreds of people, and said, “The hegemonic powers and superpowers, especially the US, feel no compunction about destroying countries and killing human beings to reach their unlawful interests.”

And vice speaker of Iran's parliament warned Muslims on Tuesday against US plots to sow discord among Islamic nations and called on Muslim elites to use the Hajj pilgrimage to promote unity and solidarity.

It is obvious for Islamic thinkers and intellectuals that the US is bent on sowing discord and dispute among Muslim nations, said Abol Hassan Aboutorabifard in a parliamentary session.

Aboutorabifard also expressed hope that this year’s Hajj pilgrimage rituals would pave the way for improved unity and understanding among Muslims and neuter the enemies' plots throughout the Islamic world, particularly in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

The Hajj is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca and the largest gathering of Muslim people in the world every year. The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to 12th of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and last month of the Islamic calendar.

Because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, eleven days shorter than the Gregorian calendar used in the Western world, the Gregorian date of the Hajj changes from year to year. This year's pilgrimage takes place from October 14-18.