Friday Prayer Leader's Attack on Bahá'ism: Which Law Allows the Enemy to Live in the Country?

Mohammad Imami Kashani, the temporary Friday prayer leader of Tehran, referred to Bahá'ism as a "dirty, polluted sect, nurtured by colonialism." According to Tasnim News Agency, Mr. Imami Kashani stated during the Friday prayer on May 31 that "the roots of Bahá'ism are in Israel" and added, "Which constitution allows the enemy to live in the country?" The tomb of Bahá'u'lláh, the prophet of the Bahá'í faith and the center of its religion, is located in Israel, and officials of the Islamic Republic often use this fact to accuse Bahá'í followers of having ties with Israel. Over the past 37 years, hundreds of Bahá'ís have been executed or imprisoned in Iran on this or other charges. This is despite the fact that Bahá'u'lláh was exiled to Palestinian territories by the Ottoman Empire decades before the establishment of Israel and died there. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has described the Bahá'í faith in several fatwas as a "misguided sect" and Bahá'ís as "unclean." Recently, after Fa'ezeh Hashemi, the daughter of the head of the Expediency Discernment Council, met with Fariba Kamalabadi, one of the leaders of the Bahá'í community in Iran, a wave of attacks against her arose among religious and governmental figures. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Fa'ezeh's father, also criticized her and referred to the Bahá'í faith as a "misguided, colonial-created, and deviant sect," but Fa'ezeh Hashemi defended her action. Meanwhile, the judiciary has announced it will "deal with" Ms. Hashemi. After the Friday prayer in Tehran, hundreds of attendees marched, chanting against Fa'ezeh Hashemi and Bahá'ís. Fars News Agency reported that similar ceremonies were held in other cities, including Qom, where the governor also participated in the protest march. In Mashhad, Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader and representative of the Supreme Leader in Khorasan Razavi, reported the entry of an "Italian modeling company" into Iran aimed at "targeting the resistance economy." Mr. Alamolhoda stated, "This company has established various stores in the country over the past two months. Holding modeling events such as fashion shows in Iran and the 'Iranian Woman of Distinction' festival in other countries are among the company's activities. This company has also created underground music studios and is actively operating under the guise of news outlets and popular social media." The Friday prayer leader of Mashhad questioned, "With this situation, will there be any Imam Zaman youth left?" In recent weeks, security agencies of the Islamic Republic have arrested dozens of active models in Iran.