The global monitoring organisation, Al Haramain Watch (AHW), has accused the authorities in Saudi Arabia of practising racial discrimination against pilgrims from Qatar for the third year in a row because of the Saudi regime’s politicisation of holy places.

It said Riyadh announced an electronic registration programme for Qatari pilgrims without coordinating with Qatar’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, and not allowing the pilgrims to pass through the only land border at Salwa.

AHW has received a number of complaints from Qatari citizens last year about the difficulty of registration and obstacles placed by the Saudi authorities for Qatari citizens. 

It has also accused the Saudi authorities of politicising the pilgrimage and using Hajj and Umrah to settle political scores against the Qatari government.

It is unacceptable for Muslims to be prevented from performing Hajj and Umrah rituals. 

Saudi policies are placing Muslims around the world in a state of confusion and fear of what would happen to the religious rituals in Saudi Arabia, it added.

AHW has called upon the Islamic institutions and Islamic countries to intervene and put pressure on the Saudi authorities to change their policies, stop politicising the pilgrimage and allow Muslims and citizens of Islamic countries to perform Hajj without imposing conditions on their governments.

It has called on Islamic countries, institutions and governments to immediately intervene in the administration of the Islamic holy places in the two holy mosques to ensure their neutral stance after the failure of the Saudi authorities to ensure neutrality of places of worship.

AHW aims to ensure that Saudi Arabia manages the two holy mosques and Islamic sites in a proper manner that preserves the past and the present image of Islam. 

The watchdog works to prevent Saudi Arabia from singling out any country over the holy rituals, which may affect the safety of pilgrims. 

It aims to ensure a fair distribution of Hajj and Umrah quotas to Muslim countries without any favouritism or mediation.

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