Lebanese cleric urges Saudis to clarify fate of missing Hajj pilgrims

A prominent Lebanese Sunni scholar stressed the need to clarify the fate of missing Hajj pilgrims and called for the establishment of a fact-finding committee to evaluate the tragic stampede in Mina.

In statement, Shaykh Ahmad Qattan, the head of Lebanon’s Qawluna wal-Amal (“Our Sayings and Action”) Society referred to the actions of the Saudi Arabian authorities after the recent stampede in Mina on September 24 and stressed on the need to establish an impartial fact-finding committee to clarify the causes of the accident.

The Lebanese Sunni scholar said one of the issues that has concerned many Muslims is the unknown fate of the missing pilgrims. He demanded Saudi Arabia to clarify their situation with all Islamic countries and cooperate to avoid political and racial issues.

He also mentioned the critical situation in Lebanon and noted that Islamic unity must be persevered in the small, yet religiously-divided country more than ever before.

“Sunnis have announced their innocence from the actions of Takfiri terrorist and extremist groups and believe that ISIL and the al-Nusrah Front are tarnishing the image of Islam and are not representative of Islam,” he said.

His Eminence added: “Shi’ites, with their knowledge of the matter, should maintain their alliance with Sunnis.”

Shaykh Qattan announced that the Qawluna wal-Amal Society supports the Islamic Resistance Axis in Lebanon and especially in the West Bank, saying: “With Arab and Islamic countries keeping mum over the Zionist regime’s atrocities against the al-Aqsa Mosque, all hope is given to the Palestinian resistance fighters.”

In conclusion, he expressed surprise at the favouritism of some Arabic countries toward the Takfiri groups who are involved in unspeakable crimes in several Middle Eastern countries, saying some countries in the region are willing to support reactionary terrorist groups in the region, but are completely indifferent toward the Palestinian cause and does not show any reaction.


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