Iran Threatens to ban Hajj

From Iran Daily via Religion of Peace Iran might ban Hajj Iran says pilgrimage to holy cities in Saudi Arabia would be banned unless Saudi officials agree to change their disrespectful and offensive behavior toward Iranian pilgrims. “The future pilgrimage of Iranians to Saudi Arabia will depend on whether the government in that country would treat them with the respect they deserve,“ said Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Presstv reported on Tuesday. Mottaki made the remarks in a meeting with the outgoing Saudi ambassador, Osama bin Ahmad Al-Sonousi, while condemning the systematic mistreatment of Iranian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. The warning comes after a series of shocking reports shed light on the serious misconduct of Saudi police in dealing with Iranian pilgrims. The controversy surfaced publicly in 2007 when the Saudi police started fingerprinting Iranian pilgrims--a move that caused an outcry in the Tehran government.