Leader Blasts Silence on Pilgrims’ Deaths in Saudi Arabia

Addressing a gathering of the Iranian Hajj officials in Tehran on Monday, Ayatollah Khamenei criticized Europe and the US for remaining silent on the deaths of around 7,000 Muslims in a September 24 crush of pilgrims in Mina, near Saudi Arabia’s Mecca.

“The liar and hypocritical organizations that claim (to be advocating) human rights, as well as the Western governments that at times make a big fuss in the world about death of a single individual, stayed absolutely silent on this event (Mina tragedy) in favor of their friend (Saudi) government,” the Leader added.

Imam Khamenei also called on the Iranian Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization to seriously pursue the case and not allow the tragedy to sink into oblivion.

“This issue should not be forgotten in silence, and should be mooted in the international circles for years, and the Western governments and the organizations claiming (to advocate) human rights should be the target of this move,” the Supreme Leader noted.

If those who claim to be defending human rights were sincere in their claim, they should have forced the Saudi regime to give an explanation, pay compensation for the losses, give a guarantee that such disasters will not be repeated, and bring perpetrators of the tragedy to justice, the Leader underlined.

Ayatollah Khamenei described Iran as the only country that complained about the incident, regretting that a united voice of complaint was not heard from the Islamic world.

“Even the governments whose pilgrims were among the dead, did not make any considerable complaint about the catastrophe,” the Leader noted.

At least 465 Iranians were among the thousands of pilgrims who died in the crush of pilgrims in Mina, the worst ever Hajj-related tragedy.

Dozens of Iranian nationals are still unaccounted for.