Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that unity and a firm resolve to resist the bullying of common enemies will help Muslim nations prosper.
"Muslim communities' adherence to Islamic principles and not surrendering to bullying will make the Muslim world prosperous and victorious," he said during a meeting with hajj officials in Tehran, IRNA reported.
The accomplishment of this goal also requires the "cooperation" and "collective effort" of all Muslim nations.
The Leader said hajj provides a great opportunity for Muslims to strengthen their unity and resolve issues facing the Muslim community, including the issue of Palestine.
Hajj is one of the pillars of Islam that every Muslim must undertake at least once in their lives, if they can afford it and are physically able.
He added that Muslims are duty-bound to express their support for people in Palestine and Yemen, and denounce the policies of oppressors.
Ayatollah Khamenei said some people say "hajj should not be politicized", but it is a misconception because Islamic teachings have emphasized the importance of the political aspect of this pilgrimage.
“Deviation from Islamic principles has always harmed the interest of Muslims,” he said, adding that Islamic values should not be allowed to slip into oblivion.
Non-Securitized Environment
The Leader called on the Saudi government to "ensure the security of pilgrims without creating a securitized environment and respect their dignity".
Ayatollah Khamenei also urged pilgrims to fulfill their responsibilities toward the social, political and ethical aspects of hajj in the best way possible.
In the worst disaster to strike the annual hajj pilgrimage for 25 years, nearly 800 people were killed, according to Riyadh, when two large groups of pilgrims arrived at a crossroads in Mina, a few kilometers east of Mecca on Sept. 24, 2015.
Counts by countries of repatriated bodies showed over 2,000 people died, including more than 400 Iranians.
Tehran blamed the disaster on organizers' incompetence, while Saudi authorities said some pilgrims ignored crowd control rules.
Two weeks before the crush, 110 people, including 11 Iranians, died in Mecca's Grand Mosque when a crane working on an expansion project collapsed during a storm and toppled off the roof into the main courtyard.
Tehran boycotted the pilgrimage in 2016 amid tensions with Saudi Arabia but sent Iranians to attend the hajj in Islam's holiest site in the following years after the kingdom promised to ensure their safety.
