Ballia,
24 June (HS): Five Ballia residents who went on a pilgrimage to Iran and became
stuck there due to rising Middle Eastern tensions returned home safely on
Tuesday. They thanked the Indian and Iranian governments for aiding their safe
return. The five pilgrims from Rasra town in Ballia district, Syed Asad Ali
Bakar, Syed Mohammad Muztaba Hussain, Syed Mohammad, Shama Jahan, and Syed
Nazmusqib, were stranded in Tehran owing to the continuing confrontation
between Israel and Iran. They landed in Ballia on Tuesday morning.
Hussain
stated that their religious visit was initially scheduled for seven days, but
because to the violence, they were obliged to remain in Iran for more than two
weeks. The
party arrived in Iraq on May 28 for the pilgrimage, and then traveled to Iran
on June 7. They stayed there till June 21. Hussain reflected on the event,
saying that while the situation in Iran was terrible, with missiles being
fired, daily life for the populace remained rather normal. Shops remained open,
and places of worship had steady foot traffic, he noted.
The party remained at a hotel in Tehran, concerned about the uncertainty of their
return to India. Hussain stated that the Iranian government is actively
assisting the return of foreign citizens and praised the Indian Embassy's
efforts to ensure their safe homecoming.
Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi