MbS rescued from Vegas Tropicana
why would Pompeo mention that SA has posession of 2 holy sites?
https://www.newsweek.com/iran-says-saudi-arabia-should-not-control-muslim-holy-sites-1027145
ran's supreme leader has railed against Saudi Arabia's control over two of Islam's holiest sites as the two Middle Eastern powers continue to vie for regional influence.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized Saudi Arabia's management of sacred mosques in the Mecca and Medina, specifically condemning Riyadh's handling of a 2015 stampede in the formerâwhere between 800 and 2,400 people died after two groups of worshippers collided at a stone-throwing ritual during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Scores of Iranians were among the dead and, after the two governments fell out months later in 2016, Saudi Arabia blocked Iranians from traveling to a land Khamenei said "belongs to all Muslims."
"Unfortunately, the government of Saudi Arabia creates problems for the Hajj pilgrims and prevents some rituals to be performed; even though, it is righteous to allow them [to] perform those rituals. These issues must be regarded as the Muslimsâ demands, which should not be forgotten," Khamenei said, according to his official website.
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Saudi Arabia: We Own Holy Islamic Sites, Internationalization Is âDeclaration Of Warâ
ByMichael Qazvini
July 30, 2017
Saudi Arabiaâs diplomatic war with Qatar is spiraling out of control. After cutting ties with Doha, the Saudis issued several demands to bring the Qataris back into the Sunni fold. One of the chief demands was scaling back friendly relations with Shia powerhouse Iran, Saudi Arabiaâs primary geopolitical rival. Now, the Qataris are firing back with a list of their own demands, a move that has Riyadh seeing red.
Most notably, the Saudis are taking issue with Qatarâs request to âinternationalizeâ Islamic holy sites peppered throughout the Saudi kingdom.
âQatar's request to internationalize the holy sites is an aggressive act and a declaration of war against the kingdom,â Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told Al-Arabiya Sunday. "We reserve the right to respond to any party working in the field of internationalization of the holy sites.â
The foreign minister added that the kingdom is making a concerted effort to welcome all Muslim religious pilgrims, including those from Qatar.
âSaudi Arabia rejects Qatarâs attempt to politicize the arrival of Qatari pilgrims into the kingdom,â he stressed. âThe kingdomâs history is clear in facilitating the arrival of pilgrims. ⌠Saudi Arabia welcomes the Qataris to perform Hajj like the rest of the pilgrims.â
Qatarâs call to âinternationalizeâ holy sites echoes Iranâs decades-old battle cry to strip the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina â exclusively entrusted to the Saudi Arabian King â away from exclusive Saudi control.
The fact that the honorific titles âServant of the Two Noble Sanctuariesâ and âProtector of the Two Holy Citiesâ have been bestowed on the Saudi monarch is evidence enough of just how much Iranâs demands cut to the heart of the monarchyâs sense of sovereignty.
For the Saudis, the holy shrines are sacred cows, or better yet, cash cows. In addition to the loads of money the Saudis collect from pilgrimages and religious tourism, control of the sites grants the kingdom priceless prestige within the Islamic world.
Every devout Muslim must try to make the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina at some point in his/her lifetime as the Hajj is one of Islamâs five pillars of faith.
As long as Saudi Arabia holds onto to these sites, it will be seen as holding the keys to the gateway of Allah.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/19137/saudi-arabia-we-own-holy-islamic-sites-michael-qazvini