THE RELIGIOUS CHALLENGE

The regime in Tehran was very well aware that Iran's pilgrimage contingent would cause trouble during the Haj, the Iranian leadership had publicly exhorted it to do so. The government of Saudi Arabia was fully expecting some mischief from the Iranian pilgrims, for several years there have been problems from the Iranian contingent on the Haj. But what Iran incorrectly calculated and Saudi Arabia failed to anticipate was the violence of the Iranian demonstrations and the magnitude of catastrophe they caused.