Iran Holds Funeral for Mina Victims
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian people in capital Tehran and other cities on Sunday attended the funeral of the Hajj pilgrims who died in a September 24 crush of people in Saudi Arabia’s Mina.
The funerals are being held in Tehran, Mashhad, Gorgan and other cities for 104 victims, whose bodies were repatriated on Saturday.
In Tehran, the funeral procession started from the University of Tehran, with thousands of mourners in attendance.
Meanwhile, a second batch, including the bodies of 114 pilgrims, returned home this morning.
A total of 464 Iranians have lost their lives in the deadliest Hajj disaster in Mina, near Mecca, when performing religious rites.
The return of the bodies from Saudi Arabia came a few days after Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei sent a clear message to the Saudi government.
Addressing a military ceremony on Wednesday, Imam Khamenei warned Riyadh that the slightest disrespect for the Iranian pilgrims or its failure to repatriate the bodies of victims will draw Iran’s “severe and tough reaction".
The Islamic Republic of Iran has had respect for fraternity in the Islamic world up to now, showing self-restraint and Islamic politeness, Imam Khamenei noted.
Saudi ruler have come under heavy fire for their incompetence in handling the annual Hajj pilgrimage. This year’s tragic incident in Mina claimed nearly 4,700 lives, ten percent of whom were from Iran.
