World: Plans for a Pilgrimage

It was probably the most bizarre story to emerge from the Persian Gulf war. Well-informed Iranians insisted that it was totally false. Equally well-informed Saudis said it was all too true. A Western intelligence source was inclined to believe the Saudis.

One casualty of the Iran-Iraq war, the story goes, was a plan by Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini to make the hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca, where thousands of his supporters apparently planned a clash with Saudi Arabian authorities. A Saudi source said that 5,000 young Iranians had applied for visas to accompany the Ayatullah on his pilgrimage. More than that, a number of Iranians carrying forged Pakistani passports were caught two weeks ago after landing on the Saudi coast of the Persian Gulf. The area has a large population of Shi'ite Muslims; many are known to be sympathetic to Khomeini's revolutionary ideals, and many are resentful of the country's royal rulers.

The Saudis have been worried that Khomeini's revolution might spread to their side of the gulf. An uprising by fundamentalist Sunni Muslims during the hajj last year resulted in many deaths and shook the country. Recently, Saudi police confiscated truckloads of small arms, ammunition and grenades that had been smuggled into the country. The Saudis suspect that Syria and Libya, which are backing Iran in the war with Iraq, may be involved in the smuggling efforts.

Some observers cast doubt on the story, pointing out that the 80-year-old Ayatullah could hardly undertake an arduous hajj in his frail condition—much less a pilgrimage that might lead to his capture by the Saudis in the middle of a battle. Others argue that the Shi'ite zeal for dramatic martyrdom should not be underestimated. Besides, they claimed, Arabic radio broadcasts from Iran have regularly beamed calls for popular uprisings and civil disobedience in the desert kingdom.