Saudi braces for Hajj Brotherhood protests

Every year before the start of the Hajj, Saudi authorities warn the faithful against using the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca as a platform to air their grievances or make political statements.

Amid heightened tensions gripping the Arab world – from Syria to Egypt – Saudi authorities this year are taking no chances.

As millions of Muslims converge on Mecca to make the five-day Hajj, which starts on October 13, Saudi Arabia has mobilised additional security. It wants to ensure that the Muslim Brotherhood does not hijack attention at the annual pilgrimage – and that includes ensuring that a certain four-finger political symbol is not displayed.

On Thursday, Egypt’s minister of religious endowments, Mokhtar Gomaa, said Muslim Brotherhood members were planning to disrupt the annual pilgrimage.

"We all know that the Brotherhood is an international organisation and that some members might plan political protests during Hajj to drive a wedge between Egypt and Saudi Arabia," said Gomaa.

His comments followed media reports that Morsi supporters have called on Brotherhood sympathisers to flash the "Rabba" sign during the Hajj. This would be in memory of  demonstrators killed around Cairo’s Rabba al-Adawiya mosque in August following Morsi’s overthrow.

“Rabba” in Arabic means “four” or “fourth”. It has become the name for a four-finger hand sign that in some quarters has replaced the two-fingered “V for Victory” gesture adopted during the 2011 Arab uprisings.

Morsi supporters also use yellow posters emblazoned with the four-finger Rabba symbol during protests.

Saudi eyes Muslim Brotherhood with suspicion

Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries to congratulate interim Egyptian President Adly Mansour after General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi appointed him the country’s caretaker leader in July. Within a week of the Egyptian military takeover, oil-rich Saudi Arabia announced  $12 billion in aid for Egypt - dwarfing the $1.5 billion of US assistance.

Saudi Arabia is a conservative state that supports the austere Wahhabi branch of Islam across the world. But the Gulf kingdom also opposes  the Muslim Brotherhood and has banned the group's pan-Islamic political activism.

Saudi Arabia is also suspicious of Qatar’s backing of the Muslim Brotherhood.  Saudi Arabia is the dominant power in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) but the tiny state of Qatar extended its influence during the 2011 Arab uprisings.

In a statement published by the official SPA news agency, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef said the kingdom had mobilised 95,000 members of the security forces, as well as troops supporting the defence ministry, the national guard and intelligence. He also said the king had approved the creation of a 40,000-strong special force to secure the pilgrimage.

While Nayef did not specifically mention the Brotherhood or Morsi supporters, he warned pilgrims to refrain from political activism.

"The Saudi government urges all pilgrims to perform this ritual away from any action that could put their safety at risk," said Nayef. "The safety of pilgrims requires us to take seriously any expected developments."