WANA (May 27) – In response to the arrest of an Iranian pilgrim in Saudi Arabia, Iran’s Foreign Minister wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) page:

 

“The Islamic Republic of Iran unequivocally condemns any attempt to harm the unity of Muslims, especially in the spiritual atmosphere of Hajj. We are determined not to allow anyone to damage our fraternal relations with our neighbors, including the forward-moving path of ties with Saudi Arabia.”

 

“Iran values the proper and efficient management of this year’s Hajj. With greetings and best wishes to the government and people of Saudi Arabia for their hosting of the pilgrims of the Holy Kaaba, I wish them continued success and dignity on this path.”

 

Yesterday, Hojjatoleslam Gholamreza Ghasemian —an Iranian university professor, religious TV figure, cultural activist, and judge on the popular international Quranic program Mahfel—was arrested by Saudi authorities.

 

Ghasemian was detained during the Hajj pilgrimage after a video he posted online criticizing Saudi Arabia’s cultural climate went viral. In the video, published before his arrest, he harshly criticized what he described as the moral decline in Saudi society. He remarked that instead of traveling to Antalya (a popular Turkish tourist destination), people could now go to Mecca and Medina, because, in his words, “casinos, brothels, and immoral concerts” were now available there. He compared the situation to the era of the Umayyad Caliphate—a period that Shia Muslims often view as marked by corruption, deviation from true Islamic values, and oppressive, materialistic rule.

 

He further accused the Saudi government of corrupting the spiritual path of Hajj by placing it under the control of those driven by self-interest rather than preserving its sanctity—comments that made his arrest during the 2025 Hajj both controversial and widely discussed.