Iran Suspends Umrah Hajj Pilgrimage
Ali Jannati on Monday said the decision has been made following the recent sexual abuse of two Iranian teenagers by Saudi officers at the Jeddah airport.
He said there will be a moratorium on sending Iranian pilgrims on Umrah Hajj until the perpetrators of the abuse are punished.
The Umrah is a pilgrimage to Mecca performed by Muslims and can be undertaken at any time of the year in comparison with the major hajj pilgrimage which is performed annually within a specific period of time.
According to the Iranian minister, talks have been held with related Saudi authorities and they have pledged to give the culprits the maximum punishment.
Two Saudi officers sexually harassed two Iranian teenage boys at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah two weeks ago, prompting Tehran to submit a note of complaint to the Saudi government.
A group of Iranians, including university students, gathered outside of the Saudi embassy in Tehran on the weekend in protest over the indecency, chanting anti-Saudi slogans and calling for the closure of the embassy as well as cancellation of the Umrah Hajj pilgrimage.
http://www.iqna.ir/fa/News/3134315
