TEHRAN (Tasnim) � Syria�s Grand Mufti blamed the deaths of hundreds of pilgrims killed in the recent crush in Mina, outside the holy city of Mecca, on Saudi rulers, urging the Muslim world not to remain silent on the issue.

The Al Saud family, as the rulers of Saudi Arabia, are responsible for all the pilgrims entering Mecca and Medina via air, sea, or land, Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun said in an interview with the Tasnim News Agency on Saturday.
Hassoun, who has served as the Grand Mufti of Syria since 2005, further urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to take over the management of the holy shrines in Mecca and Medina.
In similar remarks over the past couple of weeks, several Iranian officials have stressed that the responsibility to manage the Hajj pilgrimage should be given to the OIC.
According to Iranian officials, nearly 4700 pilgrims including 464 Iranians were killed in the crush in Mina when performing religious rites on September 24.
It came nearly two weeks after tens of Hajj pilgrims were killed in another tragic incident in Mecca.
On September 11, a massive construction crane crashed into Mecca�s Grand Mosque in stormy weather, killing at least 107 people, including 11 Iranians, and injuring 201 others.
Saudi authorities have been blasted for their failure to ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who converge on Mecca for Hajj every year.

By Tasnim News Agency