Jeddah- The reality in this year’s Hajj season refuted all what the Iranian regime has been claiming regarding the banning of Yemenis, Syrians and Iranians from performing Hajj rituals.

Iranians coming from outside Iran and Yemenis who performed Hajj this year were more than any other year. Syrians also were able to attend Hajj with the least cost this season.

In this matter, Yemen’s Minister of Endowments and Guidance Dr. Fouad bin Sheikh told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that talks on banning Yemenis from performing Hajj rituals are pure fantasy, as the number of Yemeni pilgrims this year exceeded that of any other previous year.

Bin Sheikh added that those who arrived from al-Wadiah port south Saudi Arabia amounted to 19,403 Yemeni pilgrims and 1,500 Yemeni pilgrims residing in Saudi Arabia joined their delegation.

He confirmed that the kingdom has raised the number of Yemenis allowed to perform Hajj this season.

He also focused on the fact that this year’s Hajj season reflected exactly the opposite of what KSA’s rivals have been rumoring, calling them to stop politicizing Hajj, which represents the fifth pillar of Islam.

“Religious rituals should not be included in political disputes or differences,” he said.

Yemeni Minister of Endowments called all politicians to keep politics away from Hajj, stressing that it is an obligation and a religious duty that should be performed as requested.

On the Syrian level, the Supreme Hajj Committee of the Syrian National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces responded to the Syrians claiming they were banned from going to Hajj, confirming that Hajj costs this year were much less than years before. The cost of Hajj before the revolution reached $2,440.