Mawlawi Abdolhamid: Media of Influential Organizations Have Resort to 'False Accusations'

Mawlawi Abdolhamid, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Zahedan, strongly criticized the 'false accusations' against critics during his Friday sermon on November 10. According to him, media outlets that associate themselves with the government and 'influential organizations' in the country have resorted to 'false accusations', 'deflection', and 'slander' against critics of the country's situation. This prominent Sunni cleric in Iran stated that 'religion' is solely based on 'honesty' and that no one should be denied the truth even by 'a hair's breadth'. Mawlawi Abdolhamid identified the remedy for weaknesses and problems as being open to criticism, 'listening to the words of critics', and addressing their concerns, asserting that destruction and false accusations lead nowhere. The Sunni Friday prayer leader of Zahedan emphasized the necessity of reflecting realities by the media and not pressuring media personnel, stating that currently in Iran, media owners are summoned and arrested for 'the slightest thing'. Mawlawi Abdolhamid criticized the suppression of freedom of expression in Iran, mentioning that the Islamic Republic has also filtered his own website. According to this prominent Sunni cleric, freedom of expression and the press is essential and beneficial for the country, people, and governance, and imprisoned journalists should be released. In another part of his speech, he expressed sorrow over the humanitarian situation in Gaza and severely criticized the Israeli government. Without mentioning allegations regarding Hamas's deliberate use of civilian locations to attack Israel, he stated that children, women, places of worship, and hospitals should not be targeted. Simultaneously, reports from Zahedan in Sistan and Baluchestan province indicated a heavy security atmosphere with the widespread presence of Islamic Republic security and military forces around the Makki Mosque in the city. According to the 'Halosh' website, government forces created checkpoints and blocked streets, conducting body searches and inspections of people, including women. Halosh published a video on the 'X' messaging platform showing dozens of Islamic Republic military forces stationed at the 'Danesh' school on Behdasht Street in Zahedan, which is located within the vicinity of the Makki Mosque. Previously, during protests in past years in Iran, government forces have widely used schools to deploy their forces or as detention sites for protesters. The city of Zahedan has witnessed street protests since government forces shot at a group of protesters on October 8 of last year. Protesters gathered that day after Friday prayers to protest reports of 'the rape of a teenage Baluch girl by a senior police commander' and the inaction of officials in dealing with this police commander. However, government forces shot at the protesters, killing at least 100 people. Protests by the people of Zahedan have continued every week after Friday prayers since that day and are known as 'Zahedan Protest Fridays'.