In a Tuesday message to the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage, the Leader said the rituals can render ineffective all the plans of the arrogant powers and Zionism aimed at the moral downfall of humanity at the current time and future.

Ayatollah Khamenei added that the arrogant powers and Zionism are targeting unity and spirituality with their acts of enmity and sabotage at this juncture in time and more than in the past.

The Leader emphasized that the US and other arrogant centers are strongly opposed to unity among Muslims, understanding among Muslim nations and countries, and commitment to the religion of the younger generation in these nations.

The following is the full text of Ayatollah Khamenei’s 2023 Hajj message:

In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds and peace and blessings be upon the Great Messenger of God, Muhammad al-Mustafa and upon his Pure Progeny and upon his chosen Companions.

The Abrahamic call to Hajj and his universal invitation have once again addressed the entire world from the heart of history, making eager and excited the hearts that are ready and which remember.

The invitation is addressed to all human beings: “And proclaim the Hajj to all the people” (Holy Quran 22:27). The Kaaba is the blessed host and a guide for all people: “Indeed, the first house to be set up for humankind is the one at Bakkah [Kaaba], blessed and guidance for all nations” (Holy Quran 3:96).

The Kaaba, as the focal point and the main focus of attention of all Muslims, and also the Hajj ritual as a small example of the extensive diversity of the Islamic world, can serve to elevate human society and improve the health and security of all people. Hajj can bless all humanity with spiritual and moral elevation, and this is the vital need of humankind today.

Hajj can annul and render ineffectual all the plans of the Arrogant Powers and Zionism for the moral downfall of humanity – today and in the future.

That which is a necessary condition for the occurrence of this universal impact is that as a first measure Muslims themselves should properly hear the life-giving message of Hajj and do their utmost to implement it.

The two main foundations of this message are “unity” and “spirituality.” Unity and spirituality are what guarantee the material and spiritual advancement of the Islamic world and its enlightening the entire world. Unity means being connected both intellectually and in practice. It means that hearts, thoughts, and orientations come closer together. It means a synergy in science and experience. It means having an economic connection between Islamic countries. It means the existence of trust and cooperation between Muslim governments. It means working together against common, definite enemies. Unity means that the plots designed by the enemy cannot set Islamic denominations, nations, races, languages, and the diverse cultures of the Islamic world against each other.

Unity means that Muslim nations should know each other, not through the enemy’s seditious descriptions, but through communication, dialogue, and interaction. They should be aware of each other’s potential and capacities and make plans to benefit from them.

Unity means that the scientists and universities of the Islamic world work hand in hand together, the scholars of Islamic schools view each other in good faith and with tolerance and fairness, and they listen to each other’s words. The intellectual elites in all countries and of all denominations acquaint the people with each other’s commonalities, and encourage coexistence and brotherhood.

Unity also means that political and cultural leaders in Islamic countries should prepare themselves in a coordinated manner for the situation that will exist in the upcoming world order. They need to determine with their own hands and by their own will the proper place for the Islamic Ummah in the new global experience, which is filled with opportunities and threats. They should not allow the bitter experience of the political and territorial engineering of West Asia at the hands of Western governments after WWI to be repeated.

Spirituality means advancing religious ethics. The enchantment of “ethics minus religion,” which has long been promoted by Western intellectual sources, has resulted in this unrestrained collapse of ethics in the West that everyone in the world is witnessing. Spirituality and ethics should be learned from the Hajj rituals, from the simplicity that exists in Ihram, from the negation of illusory privileges, from “feeding the destitute and the needy,” from “there is to be no sexual contact, vicious talk, or disputing,” from the circumambulation of the entire Ummah around the axis of monotheism, from the Stoning of the Devil [shaytān], and from the Disavowal of the Polytheists [mushrikīn].

My brothers and sisters who are performing the Hajj! Take advantage of the opportunity that Hajj provides to contemplate and ponder on the secrets and mysteries of this unparalleled obligatory action and make it a provision for the rest of your life. At this juncture in time and more than in the past, unity and spirituality are subject to the enmity and sabotage of the Arrogant Powers and Zionism. The US and other centers of Arrogance are strongly opposed to the unity of Muslims, to the understanding between nations, countries, and Islamic governments, and to the religiosity and commitment to religion of the younger generation in these nations. They are intensely opposed to these and they will fight these with any means they can. It is the duty of all of us, the duty of all nations, and the duty of our governments to stand against this evil scheme of the US and Zionist regime.

Ask the All-knowing, All-powerful God for help. Strengthen the spirit of “Disavowal of the Polytheists” in yourselves, and oblige yourself to spread and strengthen this spirit in the environment where you are living.

I ask Almighty God to grant all of you Iranian and non-Iranian pilgrims, success and an accepted and blessed Hajj, and I wish for all of you the accepted prayers of the great Vestige of Allah remaining on earth [Imam Mahdi (aj)] – may our souls be sacrificed for him.

May God’s greetings and mercy be upon you

Seyyed Ali Khamenei

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The Leader made the remarks in a Wednesday meeting with Iranian officials in charge of Hajj pilgrimage affairs and people who will travel to Saudi Arabia’s holy cities of Mecca and Medina to perform the annual rituals.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the Hajj pilgrimage is meant to reinforce unity among Muslim nations in the face of profanity, oppression, arrogance, human and non-human idols and all those things that Islam seeks to destroy or confront.

The Leader added that the entire Muslim world must gather and send a message against the Israeli regime.

The influence of arrogant powers is the current issue of the world, the Leader stated, emphasizing that all should demonstrate their power in the face of hegemonic powers.

Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted the issues of taking a correct view toward Hajj and understanding its significance, saying, “Hajj is an international and civilizational issue.”

In the case of the absence of the Hajj pilgrimage, the Islamic Ummah would collapse, the Leader cautioned.

He added that Muslims who perform the great annual Hajj rituals should demonstrate their strength in the face of the Israeli regime and arrogant powers and stand firm against the oppressive powers in the world.

Ayatollah Khamenei underlined the importance of clarifying global issues, including the developments in Palestine, saying, “The Hajj time is an appropriate opportunity to become aware of nations and international topics.”

The Leader noted that the disclosure of Islam’s practical opposition to the geographical, racial and class distinctions is among the main points of the Hajj rituals.

The leader added the self-proclaimed civilized countries are still struggling with black and white as well as European and non-European racial bias.

Ayatollah Khamenei also said as it has been repeatedly announced, the Iranian people and officials should pay serious heed to the enemy’s plots, methods, policies and points of strengths and weaknesses so that they would not be deceived.

“If we are aware of global issues, we can understand the enemy’s real goal and the reason for his insistence on some issues,” he noted.

He added that wherever Iranian officials were careful and acted correctly, they succeeded in achieving very good progress in regional and global issues which have angered the US.

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Amir Abdollahian informed the Hajj pilgrim’s family about the measures taken so far by his ministry and also future plans to secure Dardmand’s freedom as soon as possible.

Amir Abdollahian assured the Dardmand family that the ministry will spare no efforts to secure the release of Iranian citizens detained abroad.

Iran’s foreign ministry has reached out to Iraq and Oman in its efforts to get Dardmand released, according to the head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization in Isfahan province.

Alireza Sadeghi told Fars News on Sunday that the pilgrim has been detained in Saudi Arabia for taking photos and that the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization has been following up his case.

He said the organization informed the foreign ministry of the issue and the ministry has asked Iraq and Oman to mediate and help release the pilgrim.

“The representative of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization in Saudi Arabia is also monitoring the affairs and is ready to take immediate action in this regard if an order is received,” he added.

On Thursday afternoon, Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian also spoke with the father of Dardmand.

In recent days, the foreign minister held separate talks with his counterparts from Iraq and Oman and asked for their assistance in releasing Dardmand in the shortest possible time.

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Iran’s top Hajj official who had already arrived in Saudi Arabia talked to the Iranian pilgrims at Al Shajara Mosque before heading to the holy cities of Medina and Mecca.

Sadeq Hosseini, the head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, visited the holy city of Medina on Friday to closely oversee the executive procedures for pilgrims.

He was received at the airport by some officials of the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and a group of directors of the Iranian Hajj Committee, Al Alam reported.

“Until yesterday, more than 11,000 pilgrims arrived at the Land of Revelation, most of them through Medina Airport, where they stay for 5 days, and others through Jeddah Airport,” Hosseini said, according to Al Alam.

He noted that the officials concerned with the executive procedures had made great efforts despite the lack of time in order to provide the required requirements for pilgrims, including housing, food and transportation.

The head of the organization is scheduled to closely supervise the affairs and follow up on matters related to pilgrims.

This year, 39,600 Iranian pilgrims will perform Hajj. The first batch of pilgrims from Iran left the country on Sunday through Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport.

This year’s Hajj comes after a two-year interruption brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. It also comes against a backdrop of diplomatic talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia that facilitated the Hajj for Iranian citizens.

After a two-year shutdown of the Hajj pilgrimage due to the coronavirus pandemic, Iranian pilgrims began setting off their religious journey to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, an annual Islamic ritual featuring Muslims from around the world descending on the holy Saudi city of Mecca.

Prior to the Iranian pilgrims starting their journey to perform the 2022 Hajj pilgrimage, Ayatollah Khamenei met with a number of officials in charge of Hajj. He addressed a number of issues pertaining to Hajj and its rituals as well as international relations.

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Sa’i is a Hajj ritual that imitates what Hajar did. Who is Hajar? She was a black slave who was married to Prophet Ibrahim. In the sight of Allah, even a black slave woman turned out to have a very noble degree. Allah says the noblest among humans is the most pious, not the richest, or a specific gender or race. Therefore, Muslims should fight racism in this world. One nation that is still a victim of racism is the Palestinian nation. Palestine is colonized by the Zionist-Israel group, who claimed to be nobler and had the right to carry out occupation and various crimes against humanity against the Palestinian people.

In April 2021, Human Rights Watch issued a report describing Israel as committing apartheid and persecution towards the Palestinian people. Israel formally implemented an apartheid system of government that separated social, economic, and political life based on race. The Israeli Jews get far more special rights and facilities than Palestinians.
The legal term “apartheid” has long been used by observers, writers, or diplomats who support the Palestinian cause. The 1973 International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid and the 1998 Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court (ICC) define apartheid as a crime against humanity as consisting of three main elements: the intention to maintain the dominance of one racial group over another; systematic oppression by dominant groups over marginalized groups; and inhuman actions (HRW, 2021).

The definition of “inhuman acts” includes, arbitrary arrest and illegal imprisonment, dividing the population along racial lines by creating separate locations for certain races, forced displacement, land grabbing, denying the right to “leave and return to their country”, and denied citizenship rights over certain races. Israel has been carried out all of these actions since its founding in 1948 (Allen, 2021).

The inhuman acts started in 1947 when the United Nations issued Resolution 181, dividing the Palestinian territories: 45% for establishing an Arab-Palestinian state and 55% for the establishment of “the state of Israel”. Since then, the Palestinians have experienced expulsion, land and house grabs, and even massacres. Most Arab-Palestinian citizens who stay in the 55% area of the future Israel become citizens of Israel. In 2020, there are 1.9 million Arab-Palestinian who are citizens of Israel. They became “second class” citizens and experienced various discriminations.

Among other things, many of them were arbitrarily evicted by the Israeli government. Arab citizens cannot freely choose where to live and are forced to live in special Arab settlements. In hospitals, schools and public facilities, they also experience discrimination. Arabs receive minimal medical services, in contrast to services received by Jews. Job opportunities are also minimal. It is not surprising that the poverty rate among Arab citizens is very high. In fact, even to get married, they do not have freedom. They are prohibited from marrying fellow Palestinians who are citizens of the West Bank or Gaza; also can not marry a citizen of “enemy of Israel” such as Syria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon (Stead, 2019).

Meanwhile, Arab-Palestinian expelled from the 55% area became refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, or in refugee camps in surrounding countries (Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon). Starting in 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank, so that the area was referred to as “occupied Palestine.” The Oslo Negotiations have transferred the control of 18% of the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority.  The Israeli military is still in power for the rest area. Israel also continues to bring Jews from all over the world to the West Bank and build Jewish settlements there. This act of Israel is a violation of the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit occupying troops from changing the demographics of the occupied areas.

In this region, Israel also enforces an apartheid system. Israeli-Jewish citizens are allowed (even protected by the army) to confiscate land and houses belonging to Palestinians. Israel built roads, water and electricity system, and various infrastructures for Jews only, which Palestinians cannot use. In the West Bank, Israeli soldiers also make arbitrary arrests, detain without trial, and shoot at Palestinians. Middle East observers, UN commissions, humanitarian activists, and even diplomats already know all this. The UN has released many resolutions against the illegal settlement, but nothing seems to stop Israel’s crimes.

The discrimination and racism felt by the Palestinians have been going on for more than seventy years. Muslims have the responsibility and duty to help the Palestinian people. During the pilgrimage, Muslims from all over the world meet and gather. In this most significant gathering of Muslims, there should be a voice in defense of the Palestinian people because one of the main messages of the Hajj is to fight against racism and apartheid. With the unity of Muslims and all people who loves humanity, Palestine will be free.

Dr. Dina Yulianti is lecturer of International Relations program at Universitas Padjadjaran

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The Saudi Hajj Ministry announced on Saturday that this year’s ceremony, scheduled to be held in July, would only be “open for nationals and residents of the kingdom, limited to 60,000 pilgrims.”

The ministry also said the pilgrimage would be restricted to those individuals who have been vaccinated and are aged between 18 and 65 with no chronic illnesses.

“In light of what the whole world is witnessing with the coronavirus pandemic… and the emergence of new variants, the relevant authorities have continued to monitor the global health situation,” the ministry underlined.

“Considering the large crowds that perform Hajj, spending long periods of time in multiple and specific places… requires the highest levels of health precautions.”

The five-day Hajj pilgrimage normally brings together nearly two million Muslims from across the world in Saudi Arabia, but only 1,000 pilgrims were allowed last year to take part amid tight coronavirus restrictions.

Last October, Saudi authorities relaxed some of the curbs, opening the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca for prayers after seven months and partially resuming the year-round Umrah pilgrimage, though at a limited scale.

The limit on Umrah pilgrims is 20,000 a day, with a total of 60,000 worshipers allowed to perform daily prayers at the mosque.

Saudi Arabia has so far recorded more than 460,000 coronavirus infections, including 7,537 deaths. More than 15 million coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered in the Arab kingdom of over 34 million people.

A series of deadly disasters over the years, including a 2015 stampede that killed thousands of worshipers, have prompted criticism of the kingdom’s management of the pilgrimage.

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IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK

TEHRAN – Supreme Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution says the Presence of the US in the West Asia region is detrimental to the regional nations.

In a message marking the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said the US presence also leads to insecurity, devastation and underdevelopment of countries.

The Leader then touched upon anti-racism protests in the United States.

“With regards to the current developments in the U.S. and the anti-racism movement there, our firm stance is to support people and condemn the atrocious behavior of the racist government of that country,” he said.

The Leader in his message addressing the Hajj said, “Hajj has always been the occasion of feeling the dignity, greatness, and blossom of the Islamic world, which this year is experiencing the sorrow and regret of the believers and the feeling of separation and the failure of the eager.”

“Hearts feel homesick from the nostalgia for the Kaaba, and the separated are embracing tears and sighs. This deprivation is short-lived and will not last long god willing, but its lesson, which is to appreciate the great blessing of Hajj, must be sustained and free us from negligence,” he  said.

The leader’s message added,” We must feel and think more than ever, the secret of the greatness and power of the Islamic Ummah in the all-encompassing and diverse group of believers in the sanctuary of the Kaaba and the Prophet mausoleum (Peace Be Upon Him) and the Imams of Al-Baqi’ Cemetery (as) this year.”

Ayatollah Khamenei underlined that Hajj is an exercise of power against the arrogant who is the center of corruption, oppression, killing the defenseless, and looting, and today the body and soul of the Islamic Ummah are afflicted and oppressed by their oppression and malice.

“Hajj is a demonstration of the hard and soft abilities of the Ummah. This is the nature and spirit of Hajj and part of the most important goals of Hajj; This is what the late Imam Khomeini called the Abrahamic Hajj; and this is what can solve the great problems of the Islamic world if those in charge of Hajj, who call themselves the custodians of the two shrines, sincerely obey it and choose God’s will instead of pleasing the U.S. government,” Leader said.

The Leader made the remarks that today, as always and more than ever, the obligatory convenience of the Islamic Ummah is in unity; a unity that created unison in the face of threats and enmities, and bravely shields against the U.S. and the Zionist regime and against the bullying.

He also stressed that today more than ever this fundamental transformation is at the disposal of the Islamic Ummah and the sympathetic and prudent elite and noted that today the Islamic awakening which means the elites and the Muslim youth must pay attention to their epistemological and spiritual assets, is an undeniable fact.

“Today, liberalism and communism, which one hundred years ago and fifty years ago were considered the most prominent gifts of Western civilization, have completely undermined and their incurable defects have become apparent; The system based on that one has collapsed, and the system based on the other is in deep crisis and on the verge of collapse,” Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said.

He highlighted that today, not only the cultural model of the West – which emerged from the beginning with shame and disgrace – but even its political and economic model of money-based democracy and discriminatory class capitalism has shown its inefficiency and corruption.

Ayatollah Khamenei underscored that today, there are many elites in the Islamic world who, with pride and honor, challenge all the epistemological and civilizational claims of the West and explicitly show the Islamic alternatives. He said:” Today, even some Western thinkers, who used to arrogantly present liberalism as the end of history, are forced to retract that claim and admit their theoretical and practical confusion.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader of the Revolution, stating that we consider all Muslim nations as our brothers, and treat non-Muslims who have not entered the opposition front with kindness and justice, added that we consider the grief and suffering of Muslim communities as our suffering and try to remove it.

“We make it our constant concern to help oppressed Palestine, to sympathize with the wounded body of Yemen, and to care for the oppressed Muslims anywhere in the world. We consider it our duty to advise the leaders of some Muslim countries; rulers who, instead of relying on their Muslim brother, take refuge in the arms of the enemy and endure the humiliation and coercion of the enemy for a few days for personal gain, and auction off the dignity and independence of their nation – those who accept the survival of the oppressive Zionist regime and openly and secretly shake hands with them – we advise them and warn them of the bitter consequences of this behavior,” he emphasized.

The Leader stated that we consider the U.S. presence in the West Asian region to the detriment of the nations of this region and cause of insecurity, destruction, and backwardness of the countries. Regarding the current developments in the United States and its anti-discrimination movement, our firm position is to stand with the people and condemn the cruel behaviors of the racist government.

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