In a tweet published Monday, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, encouraged Hajj pilgrims to “avoid shopping” while in Saudi Arabia. The tweet comes as tensions between Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi continue to intensify due to the ongoing Qatar crisis, Qatif siege and war in Yemen.
Advice from Ayatollah Khamenei to #Hajj Pilgrims#Hajj2017 pic.twitter.com/qy8BjK7eW4
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) August 1, 2017
Khamenei posted an infographic onto his (still unverified) Twitter page which detailed four key pieces of advice for Hajj pilgrims. While the first three were centered around religious practices, the fourth—an encouragement to avoid shops—seemed a little out of place.
“Shopping centers and goods exist everywhere, do not waste your valuable time on them”, the advice read.
While this could be an encouragement to stay focused on religious duties and stay clear of non-religious temptation, it could also be understood within the context of Iran not wishing to contribute towards the Saudi economy.
Iran and Saudi Arabia are currently supporting opposing sides in two major civil wars: Yemen and Syria. In addition to this, Saudi has accused Iran of delaying an investigation into an attack on its embassy in Tehran in 2016.
Sunni-majority Saudi is facing difficulties in its Shia-heavy eastern regions, and has this year sentenced numerous Shia activists to death for crimes such as “spying for Iran”. Activists in the eastern Saudi town of Al-Awamiya have reported that government security forces have besieged the town and are killing civilians indiscriminately.
- The Politics of Hajj: Saudi-Qatari Tensions Increase Over Holy Pilgrimage Spat
- Smuggled into Mecca: How some Muslims illegally perform Hajj
Last year, Iran boycotted the Hajj due to a major deterioration in the relationship between the two Islamic countries caused by a stampede which killed thousands, including many Iranians. This year, over 85,000 Iranians are expected to travel to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, Qatar has also accused Saudi Arabia of hindering its pilgrims from taking part in the Hajj, an accusation which the kingdom denied.
Oil-rich Saudi is reported to earn billions annually from the Hajj pilgrimage. The call to avoid shops can therefore be understood as a call by Iran to refrain from further boosting the Saudi economy.
Read More:
Who Are Saudi Arabia’s Shia Population and Why Are They Protesting?
In Pictures: Saudi’s Siege on its Own People
The War Zone in Saudi Arabia: Tweets from the Besieged Town of Al-Awamiya
