Saudis unable to ensure safety of Hajj pilgrims: Commentator

Press TV has conducted an interview with Ibrahim Mousavi, a political commentator, to discuss the remarks made by a senior Iranian cleric, saying Saudi rulers are criminals who must be tried in Islamic tribunals and punished for the deaths of thousands during a Hajj stampede last year.

Here is a rough transcription of the interview:

Press TV: On the occasion of Eid al-Adha yet again the issue of the incompetence of the Saudis in carrying out the Hajj rituals has been brought to the fore, also the issue of being reprimanded and also being held accountable for the Mina tragedy has also been highlighted. Talk to us more about this situation.

Mousavi: Well actually this is something that should not come on occasions to the forefront of the news, to the forefront of the follow-up by people, by governments and by different organizations who are involved or who have any relation with it.

This is something that should be followed up in a very organized and a very regular way and I believe the kind of suggestions that have been put by the Iranian government and by many other groups that it is necessary, it is crucial to have a certain committee in order to follow up the whole situation.

When you talk about holding those who are in public office responsible for their actions, then it comes to the forefront again that those responsible, those officials in the Saudi Arabia facility who were like running over running and trying to help as they say the Hajj pilgrims in order to conduct their own worship in a very easy way, they should be held responsible for not only the negligence, I believe it is more than a negligence.

Here you are talking about a complete indifference, here you are talking about people who would not give any value to the human lives of other people, who would have been able to save hundreds of lives, if not thousands of lives if they have paid a little attention but here you are talking about a mentality that is responsible for this negligence, that is responsible for this indifference and that is why we were able to see this kind of tragedies happening day after day.

When these continuous negligences happen in different intervals of time, in different periods, and no one is held responsible, then a very important question should be directed by the governments of the different pilgrims for the Saudi government, for the Saudi authorities why aren't you taking the enough precautions, the enough measures in order to ensure the safety and the protection [of] the lives of the pilgrims?

That is why it is very logical, it is very reasonable that a committee, a collective committee of different Muslims, maybe they could elect certain members in order to overlook and in order to supervise and to follow up the safety and the protection because the Saudi authorities have proved [their] failure in being able to ensure and secure real safe pilgrimage.

Press TV: In the Mina tragedy last year over 460 Iranian pilgrims were killed in the tragedy but of course there were a number of other pilgrims from different countries that were also killed in the stampede. The question is why is Iran the only country that is being so vocal about the incident?

Mousavi: Well it is very evident. First of all you are talking about a government that respects its people, you are talking about a government that really cares for the dignity and for the life and for the safety and you are talking about a government that they were not able to buy because I am sorry to say that, it is in the news everywhere that they were able to buy the silence of different countries, Sudan for example, Nigeria, I do not know what countries, you have so many countries that they bought their silence with certain assistance, with certain financial promises and whatever and they did not pay attention or they did not care for the lives of their pilgrims.

That is why Iran has been very vocal because this is not something that one can stay silent about. Allah is going to ask the authorities, is going to ask the officials what did you do in order to save the lives of those people?

You are talking about people’s lives, God will ask us about. It seems that the Iranian government is the only government that is taking care of this thing because they fear God, they fear Allah, this is one thing and they are being held responsible before their people.   

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