Saudi Arabia’s top cleric said Iranians are “not Muslims”, after Iran’s supreme leader launched a fresh tirade over the kingdom’s handling of the hajj pilgrimage, a newspaper reported on Tuesday. “We must understand these are not Muslims, they are children of Magi and their hostility towards Muslims is an old one. The verbal sparring, ahead of the annual hajj, which this year starts on Saturday, follows months of tension between Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia and its Shia regional rival Iran. Saudi Arabia says Iranian pilgrims are still welcome if they travel from other countries. Riyadh severed diplomatic relations with Tehran in January after protesters attacked its embassy and a consulate in Iran after the execution of a prominent Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia.

Source: Hindustan Times September 06, 2016 14:37 UTC