Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif hit back at Saudi Mufti, stressing that the religion of Iran and most of the Muslim world is nothing like that of Saudi Arabian Wahhabis.
On his Twitter account, Zarif posted: “Indeed; no resemblance between Islam of Iranians & most Muslims & bigoted extremism that Wahhabi top cleric & Saudi terror masters preach.”
The top Iranian diplomat made the remark in response to a top Wahhabi cleric, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al ash-Sheikh, who said that Iranians were not Muslims.
Earlier, ash-Sheikh told an Arabic language newspaper that Iranians are not Muslims and have a deep animosity towards Sunnis.
The Mufti’s remarks were made after Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei criticized those in charge of Hajj over last year’s Mina tragedy.
On September 24, 2015, a deadly crush occurred after two large masses of pilgrims converged at a crossroads in Mina during the symbolic ceremony of the stoning of Satan in Jamarat.
Saudi Arabia claims nearly 770 people were killed in the incident, but Iranian officials say about 4,700 people, including more than 460 Iranians, lost their lives in the tragedy. The crush was the deadliest incident in the history of the pilgrimage. According to an Associated Press count based on official statements from the 36 countries that lost citizens in the disaster, more than 2,400 pilgrims were killed in the incident.
Source: Iranian media
