"I would like to express my sincere congratulations on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, the great Islamic holiday," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in his congratulatory message to his Muslim counterparts on Thursday.
"Hajj provides a good opportunity for more unity and solidarity among all Muslims, and the assemblies of Islamic countries, as the most important popular institution, play an important role in achieving the unity and cohesion of the Islamic world," he added.
"Now that it is not possible to perform the Hajj rituals in Mecca due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is our most important task to focus on unity and empathy with the aim of ensuring the health, security and well-being of the great Islamic nation," Ghalibaf noted.
He went on to say, "I would like to remind you that the Zionist regime has taken advantage of the current situation in the world due to the coronavirus and has made every effort to annex parts of the West Bank. Therefore, it is necessary to support the Palestinian cause more than ever."
Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, is an important festival on the Islamic calendar, which marks the culmination of the annual hajj pilgrimage in Mecca and Medina.
The occasion is celebrated by saying prayers, sacrificing livestock and serving the meat to the needy.
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