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Archives for July 2017

Qatar rebuts Saudi ‘Hajj politicisation’ claim

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Foreign minister says there has been no suggestion by any Qatari official about internationalising the pilgrimage issue.

Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. [Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

Qatar’s foreign minister has rebutted accusations by his Saudi counterpart that Qatar is trying to politicise the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, appeared to accuse Qatar on Sunday of politicising the issue and “declaring a war” against the kingdom by demanding the internationalisation of the Hajj pilgrimage.

The claim was rejected by Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in an interview with Al Jazeera.

“Qatar never politicised the issue of Hajj,” he said.

“It was Saudi Arabia trying to politicise the Hajj pilgrimage amid the Gulf crisis.

“There has been no suggestion by any Qatari official about internationalising the issue.”

The Hajj is an annual pilgrimage to Mecca attended by hundreds of thousands of Muslims from around the world.

Jubeir was quoted by Al Arabiya’s website as saying: “Qatar’s demands to internationalise the holy sites is aggressive and a declaration of war against the kingdom … We reserve the right to respond to anyone who is working on the internationalisation of the holy sites.”

Jubeir’s statement

In a separate statement in the Bahraini capital of Manama on the same day, Jubeir denied what he called claims that Saudi Arabia was trying to politicise the Hajj.

“We reject attempts by Qatar to politicise the issue and consider it disrespect to the Hajj and pilgrims,” he said.

Qatar accused the Saudis of politicising the Hajj and addressed the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion on Saturday, expressing concern about obstacles facing Qataris who want to attend Hajj this year.

Qataris are allowed to go to Hajj by Saudi authorities, but they can access the country via only two designated airports: King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah and Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Airport in Medina.

The citizens of Qatar who are abroad will have to return to the country, during the Hajj period at the end of August and beginning of September, to be able to enter Saudi Arabia by way of one of the designated airports.

Furthermore, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation has said Qatar Airways flights are banned even for pilgrims during the Hajj period.

The land border with Saudi Arabia has been closed since June 5, preventing pilgrims from reaching Saudi Arabia via land.

The fact that Qatari diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia are also closed means there is no authority to appeal to for Qataris in case issues come up during Hajj.

The moves are designed “to set obstacles for the pilgrims from Qatar to Mecca”, according to Qatar’s Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf).

‘Registrations reach 20,000’

Ali Sultan al-Misifry, director of Hajj and Umrah department at Awqaf, said the number of registrations by national and resident pilgrims had reached 20,000.

“Many of these registrants have joined Hajj campaign to begin their holy ritual. However, then the Saudi ministry’s refusal to communicate and to provide safety guarantees led to the apprehension of the pilgrims,” Misifry said, according to Qatari news media.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain previously issued a list of 13 demands for Qatar, which included curtailing its support for the Muslim Brotherhood, shutting down the Doha-based Al Jazeera channel, closing a Turkish military base and downgrading its relations with Gulf enemy Iran.

On Sunday, foreign ministers of the four countries said they were ready for dialogue with Qatar if it showed willingness to tackle their demands and “fights terrorism”.

Noted Dhrupad singer Ustad Sayeeduddin Dagar no more

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Ustad Sayeeduddin Dagar. Photo: Ragaworld

Pune: Legendary Dhrupad singer Ustad Sayeeduddin Dagar has died, family sources said today.

Dagar, 78, passed away last night at a private hospital here following a brief illness.

He is survived by his wife, two sons and their families.

His last rites will be performed in Jaipur.

Born in Alwar on April 20, 1939, the renowned classical vocalist hailed from a family, whose name is synonymous with Dhrupad, a genre of Hindustani classical music.

Dagar represented the 19th generation of the renowned family of Dhrupad music, propagated by Behram Khan Dagar of Jaipur.

His father, Ustad Hussainuddin Khan Dagar, was his first guru, from whom he started learning at the age of six.

Dagar also studied music under tutelage of his uncles and brothers.

He performed at some of the most prestigious platforms in India and abroad.

His two sons – Nafeesuddin and Aneesuddin – who represent the 20th generation of the Dagar lineage, are taking the Dhrupad tradition ahead.

Dagar moved to Pune in 1985.

(Agencies)

HC Rejects Review Petition by Govt against Cine Actor Upendra Over Land Issue

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Photo credit: Filmibeat

Bengaluru: In a big relief to Kannada cine actor, director Upendra, Karnataka High Court has dismissed a review petition filed by Karnataka state government inconnection with 17 acre farm land brought by him near Thavarekere in the state capital in 2015.

According to the high court order released on Monday, the court declared the land brought by Upendra is legal and no legal issues connected with it.

Earlier, Bengaluru Assistant Commissioner seized the 17 acre land and registered case against the cine actor under violation of a land act 79 A, B.

(Agencies)

Condemn attacks on Dalits, Muslims: Veteran Armymen write to Modi

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New Delhi: The recent attacks on Dalits and the Muslim community in the country is drawing flak from people from all walks of life. Condemning the recent spate of attacks, a group of 114 veterans of the Indian Armed Forces have penned an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Voicing concern over the recent incidents, the Army veterans said “what is happening in our country today strikes at all that the Armed Forces, and indeed our Constitution, stand for. We are witness to unprecedented attacks on society at large by the relentless vigilantism of self-appointed protectors of Hinduism.”

They also condemned the clampdowns on free speech by attacks on media outlets, civil society groups, universities, journalists and scholars, through a campaign of branding them anti-national and unleashing violence against them while the State looks away.

The veterans have clarified that they do not hold affiliation with any political party. They said they stand with the ‘Not in My Name’ campaign that mobilised thousands of citizens across the country to protest against the current climate of fear, intimidation, hate and suspicion.

In the letter, the veterans expressed their distress and said, “It saddens us to write this letter, but current events in India have compelled us to register our dismay at the divisiveness that is gripping our country.”

Stating that the Armed forces stand for ‘Unity in Diversity’, the letter signed by veteran Armed force personnel to the Prime Minister further mentioned, “Differences in religion, language, caste, culture or any other marker of belonging have not mattered to the cohesion of the Armed Forces, and servicemen of different backgrounds have fought shoulder to shoulder in the defence of our nation, as they continue to do today.”

It further said, “Throughout our service, a sense of openness, justice and fair play guided our actions. We are one family. Our heritage is like the multi-coloured quilt that is India, and we cherish this vibrant diversity.”

The letter by Armed force veterans said, “We urge the powers that be at the Centre and in the States to take note of our concerns and urgently act to uphold our Constitution, both in letter and in spirit.”

The letter comes a month after scores of people took to streets in various cities to protest a rise in mob lynching. The campaign called ‘Not In My Name’ was sparked after a teenage Muslim boy was killed by a mob, on a train near Delhi, who accused him of being a ‘beef-eater’.

Prime Minister has also condemned the killings, saying, “Killing people in the name of Gau Bhakti (reverence of cows) is not acceptable.”

(Agencies)

Decision in Bihar ‘unfortunate’: Sharad Yadav breaks silence

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New Delhi: Breaking his silence for the first time after the grand alliance faced rupture, Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) leader Sharad Yadav on Monday called the decision in Bihar ‘unfortunate’.

“I don’t agree with the decision in Bihar, its unfortunate. The mandate by the people was not for this,” Yadav said.

Nitish Kumar, on last Wednesday, ended his two-year grand alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress, citing a “call of conscience” over corruption charges slapped against his former deputy and Lalu Prasad Yadav’s son Tejaswi Yadav.

Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi and Tejaswi are central to a CBI inquiry into the land-for-hotels deal when Lalu was the Union railways minister.

Veteran JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav was also not present during the oath taking ceremony of Nitish Kumar last week.

The leader, however, expressed his dissatisfaction with the split in JD(U) and RJD alliance on social media. He for the first time spoke on the issue with media on Monday.

Sharad Yadav has been indirectly hitting out at BJP. The recent attack came on Sunday when Yadav told that BJP has failed to keep the promise of bringing back black money stashed abroad.

“Neither black money stashed abroad returned, one of the main slogans of the ruling party, nor anyone caught out of those named in Panama papers,” Yadav took to Twitter.

He also targeted the Centre for lack of development in the country. He said, “Although Govt collects number of cesses in d name of different services from public, yet don’t see any improvement in any area in d country.”

Sharad Yadav also termed the Union government’s Crop Insurance Scheme ‘unsuccessful’ and said, “Amongst others Fasal Bima Yojana is another unsuccessful scheme of d Govt through which only private insurance companies being benefitted.”

In his Twitter account Sharad Yadav also asked for an explanation from the government over slow growth in infrastructure sector. “Almost all sectors of d economy are showing slow growth & in d major sector infrastructure also investment declined sharply.Govt to explain,” he said.

(Agencies)

Govt extends I-T returns deadline to Aug 5

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New Delhi: The Income Tax department on Monday extended the tax returns filing deadline from July 31 to August 5. The new last date will give taxpayers enough time to prepare documents and file their tax returns.

The extension in deadline has reportedly been granted as people have faced problems in filing income tax returns on last day using income tax website. Besides, taxpayers have also complained that income tax website was not working as there was huge rush on to the site.

Earlier, CBDT had said last date for filing of Income Tax Returns (ITRs) for the financial year 2016-17 will not be extended beyond today’s deadline, a top official said. “The last date for filing of ITRs remains July 31. There are no plans to extend this deadline.

The department has already received over 2 crore returns filed electronically. The department requests taxpayers to file their return in time,” the official said.

On reports of the e-filing website facing some glitches, the official said that no major glitches have been reported with the department’s e-filing website– http://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/–barring a few times when the portal was “interrupted for maintenance”.

The department has also issued advertisements in leading national dailies in the last few days stating that taxpayers should disclose their income “correctly” and file their ITRs on or before July 31.

The linking of Aadhaar number with the PAN (Permanent Account Number) of a taxpayer has also been made mandatory for filing of an ITR, beginning July 1.

The department has also asked taxpayers to declare cash deposits made in bank accounts aggregating to Rs. 2 lakh or more, post demonetisation between November 9-December 30 last year, in the ITRs. The ITRs to be filed by July 31 pertain to 2016-17 fiscal or assessment year 2017-18.

(Agencies)

Obituary: Inder Kumar 26th Aug, 1973 – 28th Jul, 2017

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The untimely demise of actor Inder Kumar, who succumbed to cardiac arrest at a ripe young age of 43 on Fri 28th Jul, 2017 exposes Bollywood’s dark underbelly, which is lined with countless stories of despair born out of professional disillusions. According to friends Inder Kumar, the late actor – producer who had rubbed shoulders with Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar & Sanjay Dutt on screen in the early 2000’s, was battling with severe alcohol & substance abuse even as he underwent treatment for depression. However, his current wife, Pallavi Sarraf, who oversaw the last rites on Fri evening, asserts that he had been working on 2 comeback films – Who Is The First Wife Of My Father? and a bilingual Krina, wasn’t depressed at all. “He went away too early, too soon,” she said.

In 1995, at 22, Inder Kumar left Kolkata with little money and no familial support to chase his Bollywoodian dreams. He bunked with 4 aspiring actors in Lokhandwala, dashing from 1 audition to another for 2 months. Then, Dhirubhai, an executive producer with Times Music, cast him in a number of music videos and after 6 months, introduced him to his filmmaker friend Mahesh Kothare who was working on the Hindi remake of his Marathi hit Maza Chakula. Inder Kumar was signed opposite Ayesha Jhulka.And Masoom was a surprise hit.

While shooting for his 2nd film, Ghoonghat, he impressed Chinni Prakash with his dance moves and the choreographer extended his portions in all the film’s tracks. Tirchi Topiwale (1998) brought him close to Monica Bedi. They attended Bollywood soirees together and developed a circle of mutual friends who would come to Inder Kumar’s aid in later years. One of them was Pro Raju Kariya who had worked as Inder Kumar’s publicist cum manager till 2009. He’d also given his blessings to the marital alliance between Inder Kumar & his daughter, Sonal Kariya. “He was like a son to me. He’d call me baba,” said an emotional Raju Kariya.

Inder Kumar also caught the eye of Salman Khan and they bonded over films, fitness & food. Salman got him a role in Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye & then a part in buddy Sanjay Dutt’s Baaghi in 2000. A year later, they reunited for Tumko Na Bhool Payenge. Around this time, filmmaker – siblings Saeed Mirza & Aziz Mirza paired him with Isha Koppikar in Ek Tha Dil, Ek Thi Dhadkan. “The film never saw the light of the day but Inder Kumar & Isha Koppikar started dating each other and were soon inseparable,” informed Raju Kariya.

Inder Kumar was on the rise when a knee injury in 2002 triggered a downward spiral. While filming Partho Ghosh’s Maseeha, Inder Kumar insisted on doing his own stunts much against the advice of action directors Ravi Shinde & S Kamoo. A miscalculated jump from a helicopter damaged both his knees and he couldn’t walk for almost 6 months. “He only resumed work after 2 years and in Bollywood out of sight is out of mind. Everyone forgot Inder Kumar, so did Isha Koppikar,” Raju Kariya reminisced.

The long period of inactivity took the actor to a psychiatrist’s door. He was put on anti – depressants. Inder Kumar then moved in with Raju Kariya & his daughter Sonal Kariya and they began to look after him. “I was surprised when he told me that he wanted to marry Sonal because I’d assumed he was still seeing Isha Koppikar,” Raju Kariya. admitted.

On 2nd Oct, 2003, Salman Khan hosted the wedding party at Sea Princess Hotel. Ronit Roy who had replaced Inder Kumar as Mihir Virani in Ekta Kapoor’s small screen serial Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, stayed close to him throughout the night.

Soon after, Sujit Guha offered Inder Kumar the Bengali thriller, Agnipath. The film tanked, so did Ek Aur Amar Premm. The disappointments led Inder Kumar to substance abuse and Sonal Kariya filed for divorce. “Inder Kumar saw their daughter Khushi for the last time at the final court hearing in 2005. Sonal Kariya moved to Nagpur with her daughter and never returned,” Raju Kariya sighed.

Back on his own again, Inder Kumar learnt that Sahil Khan had bagged a parallel lead in Sohail Khan’s Aaryan and went to the Khans. He tried hard but the film flopped. In the end, only the industry friends & well – wishers like Rahul Prakash & Keshav Arora remained by his side. Inder Kumar’s day would begin with a drink and he’d smoke 2 – 3 packets of cigarettes through it, informs a friend

2 years later, in 2007, at a Holi party at filmmaker Sanjay Gupta’s residence, he tried to rekindled his romance with Isha Koppikar. But they broke up again and Isha Koppikar went on to marry a restaurateur Timmy Narang in 2009 while Inder Kumar suddenly announced that he was marrying a Punjabi model & actress Kamaljeet Kaur. The same year, Salman Khan gave him 1 last break in Prabhudheva’s Wanted. The film was a blockbuster and Salman Khan was back. But Inder Kumar was still stuck with small budget films. His 2nd marriage with Kamaljeet Kaur too ended after 2 months.

He found love for the 3rd time in 2013, when he met Pallavi Sarraf, a model, at a party. They got married after a year of dating each other and had a daughter a year later. Inder Kumar thought it was the right time to turn a producer.

But on 25th Apr, 2014, he was arrested after a model accused him of rape & assault. He was charged under Sections 376 for rape, 324 for causing grievous hurt & 506 for criminal intimidation. On 9th May, 2014 medical reports supported the woman’s claims but Inder Kumar equivocally denied the allegations, arguing that it had been a consensual relationship. Pallavi Sarraf vouched for her husband but Inder Kumar was found guilty.

There is also a flip side to it. On 25th April 2014, Inder Kumar was arrested by the Versova police, after a 22 years old female model & aspiring actress registered an FIR alleging that he had raped & assaulted her with a promise of role in movies. Inder Kumar had claimed it was a consensual relationship and she was seeking a revenge after he ended the fling and went back to his wife. People of Bollywood distanced themselves from him and he was left with no friends, money or career when his daughter was only 15 months old. He was charged under sections 376 (rape), 324 (causing grievous hurt) & 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. Under the Indian law even the consensual sex in a long – term fling can be claimed as rape by the woman, as the law says “consensual sex is rape when a man knows that he is not the husband of woman”, which High Court observed is misused as a form of revenge by the jilted female lover to accuse the men of rape. On 9th May, 2014 the police asserted that the medical reports supported that the woman had been raped as well as assaulted. Inder Kumar denied the allegations saying that he had had a consensual relationship with the woman. His wife Pallavi defended him fiercely in public with the statement that he slipped by having a consensual fling and during the 2 days during which the woman accused him of rape the claimant was freely moving in & out of her apartment alone in a cheerful mood to order food & buy alcohol to party at home with Inder Kumar, who later on apologized for leaving his wife for a short fling and he returned to his family. Subsequent to that, Inder Kumar was granted bail on 10th June, 2014. And the woman who accused him was arrested by police on 1st Aug, 2014 in an unrelated case for robbing her sister’s residence in the same locality of jewellery worth INR 10 lakh.

After being in jail for 5 months Inder Kumarwas granted bail on 10th Jun, 2014. “It was during this time that all the friends he’d made during his association with Monica Bedi came in handy and he came out of the jail looking fitter & better.

Excited about his upcoming releases, he had called me last week to say that it had been a long time since we met. “Come, let’s party” he urged. We had plans of a reunion on 3rd Aug, 2017. But the party, like his dreams to become a star, will remain unfulfilled,” sobbed Raju Kariya.

When last heard he was also working on a film called Phati Padi Hai Yaar. Oh! How symbolic.

Bengaluru: Civil contractor held for molesting minor in car

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Bengaluru: A 36-year-old contractor was arrested for molesting a 15-year-old girl on the pretext of dropping her home from school on Saturday. The arrested has been identified as Afzal Hussain.

According to the police, the accused – Afzal Hussain– had befriended the girl’s brother while visiting a construction site near their home. On Saturday, Hussain met the girl near her school and offered to drop her home. After she got into the car, he allegedly drove to an isolated location and attempted to molest her.

The girl got out of the car, and upon reaching home, complained to her mother. Her parents filed a complaint with the Pulikeshi Nagar police. In her statement, the girl said Hussain had molested her in the past as well. He would force her to watch porn videos and threaten of dire consequences. Out of fear, the girl did not inform her parents about his acts for long.

Based on the complaint, the police arrested Hussain under various sections of the POCSO Act.

‘We won’: Al-Aqsa Mosque reopened to all Palestinians

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Worshippers of all ages enter mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem after Israel lifts restriction on men under 50.

(AFP/Ahmad Gharabli)

by Al Jazeera

Thousands of Palestinians have re-entered al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, after Israeli authorities lifted an age restriction it had placed earlier on Friday.

The Islamic Waqf religious authority that administers the compound announced that all gates would be opened to Palestinians of all ages.

Earlier in the day, Israeli police prevented access to the holy shrine for men under the age of 50 and closed some of the compound’s gates.

The announcement came just a few hours before Friday prayers began. Thousands of men prayed in the streets and just outside the compound’s gates.

According to religious officials, 10,000 worshippers made their way inside al-Aqsa Mosque compound for noon prayers.

Small protests against these restrictions broke out after prayers in different towns and cities in the occupied West Bank.

Police fired water cannon and tear gas at protesters in Bethlehem, and there was a high police presence near al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said it received 225 cases of injuries across the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker, reporting from outside the Damascus Gate, said the situation there had been “largely peaceful”.

“There’s been a few skirmishes around Lion’s Gate and Wadi Joz, but in general everything has passed relatively peacefully,” she said, referring to a Palestinian neighbourhood north of the Old City.

In Bethlehem, approximately 200 Palestinians held prayers in front of the Separation Wall.

Israelis fired live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas at the crowd, the Red Crescent said.

Later on, a young man was shot to death by Israeli soldiers after an alleged stabbing attempt south of Bethlehem near the Gush Etzion settlement block.

However, local witnesses said that Israeli soldiers fired at 24-year-old Abdullah Taqatqa when he was 20 metres from them.

Protests also broke out along the Gaza Strip’s border, resulting in the killing of 16-year-old Abdelrahman Abu Humeisa by the Israeli army.

Seven other Palestinians were wounded by live fire in east Jabaliya, north of the strip and east of the Bureij area, in the middle.

Checkpoint clashes

In Ramallah, clashes broke out after prayers near the Qalandiya checkpoint, one of the main barriers that separates the West Bank from Jerusalem.

“We saw Israeli security forces use concussion grenades as well as a lot of tear gas,” Al Jazeera’s Scott Heidler said, reporting from Qalandiya. He said live rounds had also been used.

Tensions remain high in East Jerusalem, with a fortified Israeli military and security presence.

In an act of civil disobedience, Palestinians have held prayers day and night outside al-Aqsa Mosque compound for the past two weeks in protest at Israel’s increased surveillance measures and obstacles to free movement at the entrances and gates.

On Thursday, Palestinians made their way inside the compound for the first time in 13 days after the Israeli government removed newly installed security cameras and metal detectors.

The scenes of jubilation, with many describing the day as a victory for the Palestinians, quickly soured after Israeli forces fired stun grenades and tear gas inside the compound at the Palestinians, wounding more than 100.

The Israeli measures were installed after an attack carried out by three Palestinian citizens of Israel on July 14, who shot and killed two Israeli policemen.

The Palestinians were then chased inside the compound and shot dead.

Israeli authorities closed the compound for two days, angering Palestinians, who feared that a change in the status quo of the holy site would see it going under the control of Israelis.

In more than 12 days of protests, Israeli forces wounded more than 1,000 Palestinians during clashes, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

Three Palestinians were killed last Friday during Day of Rage protests across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Later that night, a Palestinian assailant climbed over the fence of Halamish, a Jewish-only settlement in the West Bank, and killed three Israelis in their home.

The compound, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, has been the site of much contention in recent years.

‘It is our social place’

Palestinians view al-Aqsa Mosque compound as more than just a religious site, Ahmad Buderi, a Jerusalem affairs commentator, said.

“It is a place where we meet, a place where we bury our dead people, a place where we get married,” he told Al Jazeera. “It is our social place. It is where we play football in the afternoons.”

Palestinians knew that they would bear the responsibility of protecting the mosque, Buderi said, adding that the Arab and Islamic world can do nothing.

“The Palestinians joined together and forgot about their political and social differences, and that’s how we won,” he said.

Qatar accuses Saudi Arabia of politicising Hajj

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Rights group files complaint to UN special rapporteur over restrictions imposed on Qatari pilgrims amid GCC crisis.

As custodian of Islam’s holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia organises the annual Hajj [File: Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

Qatar has accused Saudi Arabia of politicising the Hajj, claiming Riyadh has imposed restrictions on Qatari nationals planning to travel to Mecca for the annual Muslim pilgrimage.

Qatar’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said on Saturday that Qatari citizens have been told they can only enter Saudi Arabia through two airports, and that they must travel via Doha to be allowed in.

This would be challenging for Qataris who do not live in Doha, such as those studying abroad.

The NHRC said it has filed a complaint with the UN special rapporteur on freedom of belief and religion over the restrictions, which it said were in “stark violation of international laws and agreements that guarantee the right to worship”.

The restrictions are part of a boycott launched on June 5 by Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, which saw the group sever diplomatic ties with Qatar and impose a blockade. They accuse Qatar of funding terrorism, allegations Qatar has strongly denied.

The four Arab states cut transport links with Qatar, and Saudi Arabia has closed the peninsula’s only land border.

As the custodian of Islam’s holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia organises the annual Hajj.

The pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, which every able-bodied Muslim who is able to afford the journey is obliged to undertake at least once in a lifetime.

Hajj is due to begin in early September.

The NHRC said it was “extremely concerned over [Saudi Arabia] politicising religious rituals and using [Hajj] to achieve political gains”.

“The Saudi authorities have allowed the Qatari pilgrims to enter Saudi Arabia only through two airports via Qatar only, thus any Qatari citizen located outside Qatar, must first return to Qatar then travel to Saudi Arabia,” it said.

The civil liberties group also said that it will lodge a second complaint against Saudi Arabia with UNESCO for subjecting Qatari nationals to harassment and threats in Saudi territory.

During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, the group claimed that officials in Saudi Arabia forced Qataris who were visiting religious sites to leave their hotel rooms. Unable to fly on commercial flights, which had been blocked from travelling from Saudi Arabia to Qatar, they were forced to use charter flights.

In June, the Doha-based Al Sharq newspaper reported that Saudi authorities barred Qatar nationals from entering the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

The NHRC said that its complaints were part of a wider effort to highlight Saudi Arabia’s violations of religious freedom and the right to worship, and expose them to the international community.

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