
In a deepening regional rift, the nation of Qatar has severed diplomatic relations with Iran, joining Bahrain, Kuwait and Sudan in backing Saudi Arabia. Qatar is the latest country to recall its ambassador to Iran following the attacks on Saudi
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.7 Jan 2016, 1:20 AM PST0

JAFFA, Israel – A Saudi bus driver was reportedly sentenced to imprisonment and flogging for allowing women to smoke, sing and dance in his vehicle, the Saidi-based SABQ news site reported on Wednesday. The male driver, who drove female students from
by Ali Waked6 Jan 2016, 4:42 AM PST0

Without directly referencing their breakdown in diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, Iranian authorities have reportedly ruled to suspend the “lesser” yearly pilgrimage to Mecca – according to the AINA news agency. The report suggests that the pilgrimage, known as the
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.6 Jan 2016, 3:35 AM PST0

The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran escalated another notch on Monday morning, as the Saudis announced the suspension of air travel to and from Iran.
by John Hayward4 Jan 2016, 9:05 AM PST0

JAFFA, Israel – A newly released American rap song has launched a heated debate in Saudi Arabia’s media and social networks. “Mecca is Our Right,” recorded by the Saudi-American singer Mohamed Qadi, has so far received 200,000 hits on YouTube, almost exclusively
by Ali Waked16 Dec 2015, 1:17 AM PST0

Contents: Egyptian scholar: The original al-Aqsa mosque may not have been in Jerusalem; BBC reporter confronts China’s military in South China Sea
by John J. Xenakis15 Dec 2015, 4:00 AM PST0

Palestinians on their way to Saudi Arabia as part of a holly pilgrimage to Mecca were surprised to discover handbags ordained with Hebrew script, according to eyewitnesses.
by Breitbart Jerusalem8 Dec 2015, 4:22 PM PST0

The Associated Press has reviewed media reports and official comments from nations that reported the deaths of their citizens during the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and found this year’s total standing at 1,621, with hundreds still missing.
by John Hayward15 Oct 2015, 8:23 PM PST0

The Saudi government allegedly beheaded the 28 people found responsible for the deadly stampede during the hajj pilgrimage in September.
by Mary Chastain5 Oct 2015, 6:13 AM PST0

The death toll from the tragedy that killed hundreds, if not thousands, of Hajj pilgrims last week outside of Mecca continues to rise this week, as official estimates from Islamic countries show that the real number of those who passed in the stampede is likely much larger than the 769 previously announced by Saudi Arabian authorities.
by Jordan Schachtel4 Oct 2015, 8:01 AM PST0

Iran on Thursday nearly doubled its death toll from the hajj stampede to 464, giving up hope of finding missing pilgrims alive after a tragedy that has sparked a major row with Saudi Arabia. After Iran threatened a “fierce” response
by AFP1 Oct 2015, 8:39 AM PST0

Iranian dictator Ali Khamenei continues to call for Saudi Arabia to apologize for the deaths of over 750 people killed last week in a stampede during the Muslim hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
by Jordan Schachtel28 Sep 2015, 9:24 PM PST0

Contents: Death toll from Hajj stampede rises to 769, triggers fatalistic explanations; Iran rejects Fatalism, blames Saudi officials for ‘crime’; Muslims debate the role of the ‘Will of Allah’ in human life; Theological contradictions in omnipotence and omniscience vs free will
by John J. Xenakis27 Sep 2015, 4:00 AM PST0

A stampede in Mecca on the last day of the hajj pilgrimage took the lives of over 100 Iranian citizens, as the total death toll from the incident has surged to over 700 people, and the leaders of the regime in Tehran are furious with Saudi officials for their alleged negligence.
by Jordan Schachtel25 Sep 2015, 9:58 PM PST0

In Saudi Arabia, at least two million Muslims swarmed the Kaaba in the middle of Mecca’s Grand Mosque to begin their annual hajj pilgrimage.
by Mary Chastain23 Sep 2015, 7:43 AM PST0

Misfortune struck in Mecca during the annual Islamic pilgrimage again on Thursday, but this time there were no fatalities reported, and only two injuries. A hotel in the Saudi city caught fire, requiring the evacuation of over 1,000 people.
by John Hayward18 Sep 2015, 2:11 PM PST0

The Saudi Binladin Group is a huge company that has, until now, been the Saudi government’s “favorite contractor for important or sensitive work, including defense and security projects,” as Reuters puts it.
by John Hayward16 Sep 2015, 8:18 PM PST0

The big Gulf oil kingdoms refuse to take any Syrian refugees, even though they are much closer to the war zone than Europe, and passage to the Gulf would be far less hazardous than risking death in overcrowded boats on the Mediterranean.
by John Hayward16 Sep 2015, 9:50 AM PST0

Contents: Russia’s Vladimir Putin tightens grip on Tajikistan at CSTO meeting; The troubled history of the CSTO in Central Asia; Russia’s economic slowdown means financial disaster for Central Asia
by John J. Xenakis16 Sep 2015, 6:22 AM PST0

Contents: Huge construction crane in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca Grand Mosque crashes, killing dozens; 1979 takeover of Grand Mosque led to al-Qaeda and 9/11
by John J. Xenakis12 Sep 2015, 6:14 AM PST0

A crane collapsed on the Grand Mosque in Mecca on Friday, killing at least 60 people who were visiting on their annual pilgrimage. 154 are believed to have been injured.
by Mary Chastain11 Sep 2015, 10:39 AM PST0

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Islamic State group is extending its reach in Saudi Arabia, expanding the scope of its attacks and drawing in new recruits with its radical ideology. Its determination to bring down the U.S.-allied royal family has raised concerns it could threaten the annual Muslim hajj pilgrimage later this month.
by AP10 Sep 2015, 6:16 AM PST0

A video of a man performing part of his pilgrimage to Mecca while riding a hoverboard has prompted a debate among Muslims regarding whether the device is permitted. At least one scholar has approved, as long as a disability prevents the man from completing the voyage on foot.
by Frances Martel3 Sep 2015, 11:13 AM PST0

A Muslim Civil Guard officer has asked Spanish authorities to fund his pilgrimage to Mecca, since colleagues have received funding for Christian holy trips. The officer, based in Melilla, one Spain’s two exclaves on the North African coast, wrote to
by Nick Hallett15 Jul 2015, 8:05 AM PST0

The Israeli defense establishment is expected to ease travel restrictions for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza territories during the Muslim’s holy fasting month of Ramadan, several news outlets report.
by Edwin Mora17 Jun 2015, 6:27 PM PST0