‘Saudis must apologize for Hajj crush’

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the Saudi rulers should apologize for the recent deadly incident that killed hundreds of pilgrims during Hajj rituals instead of dodging their responsibility.

Addressing a group of clerics on Sunday, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “The Muslim world has many questions in this regard and Saudi rulers, instead of shunning [their responsibility] must accept their responsibility in this grave incident by apologizing to the Muslim Ummah and bereft families.”

Referring to the bitter incident in Mina, which turned Eid al-Adha into a mourning occasion for the Muslim Ummah, the Leader added, “One cannot consider himself free from this sorrow [even] for a single moment and this sorrow has been weighing on the hearts of us and all Muslims during these past few days.”

The Leader described Saudi rulers’ effort to dodge their responsibility in this catastrophe as incorrect and an ineffective measure, saying, “The Muslim world has many questions and the death of more than 1,000 people in this incident is no small matter. Therefore, the world of Islam should find a solution for this problem.”

Emphasizing that this incident will not be forgotten and will be seriously followed by Muslim nations, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “Instead of projection and incriminating this or that, Saudis must accept their responsibility and apologize to the Muslim Ummah and bereft families.”