Loading ...
Metro Detroit Shi'ites Worry About Potential Attacks During Pilgrimage In Saudi Arabia
As Muslims get ready for a religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, some are concerned they could get attacked by extremists like a group from Dearborn did last year.
Muslim groups in Michigan and across the U.S. are asking the State Department to ensure that Muslim-American pilgrims are protected in Saudi Arabia while on the pilgrimage, known as hajj.
In October 2013, a group of Shi’ite pilgrims led by the spiritual leader of a Dearborn mosque, the Islamic Center of America, were assaulted by a group of Sunni extremists known as Salafis, a sect that sometimes views Shi’ites negatively.
The Salafis choked one man and threatened to rape the women, said Suehaila Amen of Dearborn, who witnessed the assault.
“I feel the State Department could have been more responsive to the situation, whether in reply to our calls or to condemn the attacks and inaction of the Saudi government,” Amen said.
On Aug. 26, Muslim Advocates, a California-based group, wrote an open letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, asking him to “take steps necessary to ensure that all American Muslims will be fully protected during the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage.”
The letter was signed by 27 other Muslim and Arab-American organizations, including the Michigan Muslim Bar Association and the Michigan Muslim Community Council.
The letter notes that taking the hajj pilgrimage is one of the five requirements for observant Muslims. And so, “any interference with this pilgrimage is a direct violation of that individual’s religious liberty,” the letter said. Muslims are expected to start leaving later this month for hajj, which starts the first week of October.
“We are asking Secretary Kerry to use his diplomatic relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to protect American citizens, and to ensure that if Americans are in jeopardy, they can rely on the U.S. Embassy for immediate assistance,” said Mohamed Sabur, Muslim Advocates charities program director.
A State Department official said in response to the letter: “The protection of U.S. citizens overseas is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State.”
The official added that “the security environment remains complex in Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Department of State urges U.S. citizens to be aware of the continuing risks of travel to these areas.”
The attack last year was the latest hostile act in Saudi Arabia against Shi’ites who say they are often harassed while there on pilgrimage. Saudi Arabia is a U.S. ally that is dominated by Sunnis, some of whom preach anti-Shi’ite messages.
The attackers last year reportedly were from Australia, said Muslim Advocates. In previous pilgrimages, Shi’ites from metro Detroit complained of being attacked by Saudi religious police.
The Saudi Embassy did not return phone calls and an e-mail seeking comment. The embassy also did not comment last year.
The Dearborn group was attacked last year while in Mina, said witness Seyed Mothafar Al-Qazwini, a nephew of Imam Hassan Al-Qazwini, religious leader of the Islamic Center of America.
The Salafi extremists asked one pilgrim if he was Shi’ite, Al-Qazwini told the Free Press last year. When he said, “yes,” one man grabbed him in a chokehold while two others punched him in the face, Al-Qazwini recalled.
The Salafi leader then shouted: “Kill them all. Kill the Shi’ite,” Al-Qazwini recalled.
Another said, “They will rape them all,” referring to the Shi’ite women,” Al-Qazwini said.
Shi’ites said Saudi authorities ignored their concerns and deleted photos and video they had of the attack.
“As U.S. citizens, it is expected that our home country protect us, hear out distresses, and respond in an appropriate manner,” Amen said.
Detroit Free Press
Niraj Warikoo