Clashes Between Security Forces and Gonabadi Dervishes Near Nourali Tabandeh's Home

The website 'Majzoban Noor' reported the presence of security forces for the second time this month in front of Nourali Tabandeh's house, the leader of the Gonabadi dervishes, and clashes with a group of dervishes. The site, which covers news related to the Gonabadi dervishes, reported that several security and law enforcement officers were stationed on Saturday night, February 3, around Nourali Tabandeh's home on Golestan Haftom Street in the Pasdaran area of Tehran, which led to a gathering of Gonabadi dervishes in the area to disperse the 'security forces and plainclothes agents.' Security forces had previously been present in a similar action in this area on Wednesday evening, January 25. In this context, images and videos of clashes between Gonabadi dervishes and security forces were published on social media, showing several motorcycles and a Peugeot car abandoned and damaged in the street. Kasra Noori, a Gonabadi dervish, told Radio Farda that these motorcycles belonged to 'law enforcement, IRGC, and Basij' forces, who 'came to the street at 7 AM on Sunday and assaulted the dervishes. This led to clashes and resistance from the dervishes.' The Majzoban Noor website reported that following these clashes, 'several security and law enforcement officials, including Brigadier General Mosaddegh, the head of the local police,' arrived at the scene and promised the dervishes that they would 'follow up on the presence of forces the previous night and stop the intervention of plainclothes and IRGC forces in the area.' According to the report, the dervishes told the present law enforcement officials that they were 'worried about the illegal and provocative presence of IRGC and plainclothes forces' and that despite contacting 'Police 110 for area control from the early moments of Saturday night and providing images and license plate numbers to the precinct officers for tracking and identifying these individuals,' 'no specific action was taken.' The Gonabadi dervishes announced that 'until complete calm is restored to the area and a firm commitment to prevent the actions of rogue individuals is established, they will continue their significant presence in this location.' Additionally, an audio file of statements made by Nourali Tabandeh, a 90-year-old lawyer and leader of the Gonabadi dervishes, was released on Sunday, February 4, in which he criticized 'provocative behaviors' and stated: 'Efforts have been made for the peace of the country. Although it has come at the cost of being hit in the head, the country is calm. Do not unnecessarily disturb it. There is no one who has malicious intent against my home and life. They want to show themselves. This is a wrong action.' The 'Nematollahi Sultan Ali Shah Gonabadi Order,' whose followers are commonly known as Gonabadi dervishes, is one of the Sufi orders that believes in the principles and branches of Twelver Shia Islam. However, some specific beliefs of the followers of this order have led the Islamic Republic to severely suppress them in recent years. During this time, several of their houses of worship have been destroyed, hundreds of dervishes have been arrested and imprisoned, and some have been barred from education. In this regard, Majzoban Noor reported that Sepideh Moradi, a Gonabadi dervish who was pursuing a master's degree in computer science at Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran, was expelled from the university on January 31 by the order of security agencies. According to this report, this student had previously been summoned by the university's disciplinary committee to sign a selective commitment letter, which she had refused to sign. The suppression of dervishes in Iran has also faced protests from international organizations.