Cairo - The Muslim Council of Elders (MCE) refused Qatar's attempts to politicize the Hajj, according to the council's Secretary General Ali Rashid Al-Nuaimi on Monday. During their urgent meeting held for the latest events and violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque, the council discussed Qatar's latest escalations regarding the Hajj, as several media outlets reported a couple days ago that Qatar demanded the internationalization of holy sites, which was described as a declaration of war against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir. On July 31, Qatar's Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs stopped electronic Hajj registration for Qatari citizens and residents without clarifying the reasons behind the registration suspension. On the other side, Saudi authorities welcomed the Qatari pilgrims this year and secured nine corridors to be used in emergency cases – one over the Mediterranean Sea under Egypt's control and eight more in the Arab Gulf area – adding that the measure had been adopted under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The Muslim Council of Elders is an Independent International Body, established July 2014, that discusses Muslim issues and cases. The council includes several Islamic scholars and experts, including Egyptian Grand Imam Ahmad el-Tayeb.
