Saudi Haj form released by the Pakistani government asks ‘Are you Shia?’

Islamabad: Riyadh has asked Pakistan to identify Shia Muslims who wish to perform Haj in September this year.

In the fresh Haj application released by the Pakistani government under instructions of the Saudi authorities, a new question has been inserted, “Are you Shia?”

The addition of this controversial question comes at a time when Pakistan is facing tremendous pressure from the Saudi Arabia to join its coalition against Yemen. The Pakistan has not joined the war on Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen despite Riyadh’s insistence.

Pakistan, which has a huge Shia population, already faces sectarian violence and any official participation in the Saudi coalition will drag it into a confrontation described by many Muslims in Pakistan as a Sunni against Shia Houthis in Yemen.

Haj is an annual pilgrimage performed once a year in the Saudi city of Mecca by Muslims worldwide. It is mandatory for all Muslims to perform Haj, one of the five pillars of Islam, at least once in their lifetime, provided they are financially and physically able to do it.

Saudi Arabia, according to a media report, will not entertain any Haj applications that “fail to specify whether the applicant is a Shia or a Sunni.”

“Saudis do not want a repeat of the 1987 demonstrations during the Haj pilgrimage, which led to the deaths of over 400 people in Mecca,” according to a senior official of the Pakistan Haj Mission.

The news about Saudi Arabia seeking details of “sect” in the Haj application forms was greeted with severe criticism over social media. “To Saudi Arabia, Muslim is not enough. Shame”, tweeted one user.

Saudi Arabia has been seeking military support from Pakistan against the Houthis as it fears they can harm the sanctity of the holy sites in the kingdom.

On Friday, Imam-e-Kaaba, Sheikh Khalid Al-Ghamidi, the prayer leader of Islam’s holiest mosque, said that Muslims should remain united and must help each other when in need.

Delivering a pre-Friday prayer sermon at Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, the visiting cleric said that the dignity of a person is based on piety and not on ethnicity.

He added that salvation only lies in the practice of the Sunnah and the Quran. The Imam-e-Kaaba also said that every Muslim’s religion, God, Prophet and the holy book are the same.