Saudi Arabia says that calls for internationalization of holy sites ‘a declaration of war’

DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister called what he said was Qatar’s demand for an internationalization of the Muslim hajj pilgrimage a declaration of war against the kingdom, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said on Sunday, but Qatar said it never made such a call.

“Qatar’s demands to internationalize the holy sites is aggressive and a declaration of war against the kingdom,” Adel al-Jubeir was quoted saying on Al Arabiya’s website.

“We reserve the right to respond to anyone who is working on the internationalization of the holy sites,” he said.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said no official from his country had made such a call.

“We are tired of responding to false information and stories invented from nothing,” Sheikh Mohammed told Al Jazeera TV.

Read More: Saudi Arabia says that calls for internationalization of holy sites ‘a declaration of war’.