Hawzah News Agency (Mashhad - Iran) - Central Foundation for Imam Reza (AS) Pilgrims has planned construction of cheap and affordable houses for holy shrine pilgrims in the presence of Hoj. Ahmad Marvi, the chief custodian of Astan Quds Razavi, the body in charge of Imam Reza (AS) holy shrine.
Marvi noted that providing cheap accommodation for needy pilgrims of the holy shrine is a real concern for AQR, saying: “Although we tried to overcome some accommodation problems of these people by constructing and launching Razavi pilgrim houses in recent months, the city is far away from its ideal position in this area”.
Stating that AQR will cooperate with other related organizations in providing affordable accommodation, he stressed: “We are considering different plans to address this issue at the moment”.
Emphasizing on the need for finishing incomplete provincial pilgrim houses in Mashhad, Hoj Marvi asked all related administrative bodies to use their highest possible capacity to alleviate the pilgrims’ accommodation problems.
Seyyed Ahmad Alamolhoda, Leader's representative in Khorasan Razavi Province, Hoj. Aliakbari head of Friday Prayers Policymaking Council, CEO and members of managing board of Central Foundation for Imam Reza (AS) Pilgrims, mayor of Mashhad, deputy governor general of Khorasan Razavi province, and a group of benefactors were other participants in the meeting.
Easy pilgrimage for needy pilgrims
Referring to the history of Central Foundation for Imam Reza (AS) Pilgrims, Ayatollah Alamolhoda said: “The foundation was formed to provide needy people of the country with an easy pilgrimage at Imam Reza (AS) holy shrine and to fulfill Ayatollah Khamenei’s order asking authorities to construct affordable pilgrim houses in Mashhad”.
Alamolhoda added: “Since these houses belong to the poor people, the related documents will be endowed to the underprivileged people”.
He also said: “Because some provinces have not been able to attract public participation to finance their pilgrim houses, we are now negotiating with Mostazafan Foundation of Islamic Revolution to support the projects”.
Friday Prayers Policymaking Council ready to cooperate with foundation
Hoj. Mohammad Javad Aliakbari head of the Friday Prayers Policymaking Council expressed the council’s readiness for cooperation and negotiation with Friday prayers leaders to finalize incomplete projects in each province.
The meeting also included a review over physical progress of the projects, examining construction of a special pilgrim house for Pakistani people as well as problems which different pilgrim houses face.
Taking efforts to create synergy and collaboration among various bodies of the country related to the issue of pilgrimage, making decisions for finishing incomplete pilgrim houses in different provinces in Mashhad, and the need to provide affordable housing for the deprived people around the holy shrine were other topics discussed in this meeting.