Mawlawi Abdolhamid: Worship Does Not Require Permission; Security Forces Closed Sunni Prayer Halls

Mawlawi Abdolhamid, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Zahedan, announced in this week's Friday sermon that security forces had closed Sunni prayer halls in Tehran and Mashhad, stating that worship does not require permission anywhere in the world. The Friday prayer leader criticized the imprisonment of Sunni clerics for their political opinions, emphasizing that there is no free media in Iran, whereas media should be free and protected. He stressed the need for dialogue to resolve issues, saying that the 'national media' is funded by public resources but does not serve the people of Sistan and Baluchestan. This Sunni cleric and government critic also condemned widespread filtering, stating that they are not allowed to even have satellite television to promote their beliefs, and their websites have been filtered since day one. The Halosh website reported that on Friday, December 3, 1402, worshippers in Zahedan held a silent march at the request of Mawlawi Abdolhamid after the Friday prayers. Halosh, which covers news from Sistan and Baluchestan, also reported the deployment of military forces in a stadium adjacent to the Zahedan prayer hall before Friday prayers. The increased presence of security forces in recent weeks and the dispatch of 'bulletproof' armored vehicles to this province have been aimed at countering the protest Fridays in Zahedan. However, the police chief of the province claimed on Thursday, November 25, that 'bulletproof tactical Storm vehicles' had been deployed to 'enhance security and tranquility and to deal seriously with security disruptors' in the province. Mawlawi Abdolhamid also reported in last week's Friday prayer on November 26 about the pressure on the families of the victims and injured from the 'Bloody Friday' in Zahedan to accept blood money, deeming this insistence 'against the customs and laws in the country.' Since October 8, 1401, when security forces shot at worshippers in Zahedan, resulting in the deaths of at least one hundred people and injuries to hundreds more, protest marches have been held after Friday prayers every week in Zahedan. So far, the efforts of the Islamic Republic forces to prevent the holding of protest Fridays in Zahedan have not succeeded, although sometimes, for the safety of attendees and at the request of Mawlawi Abdolhamid, these marches are held in silence. Halosh reported the tightening of the security atmosphere in Zahedan to prevent protest Fridays; the continuation of Mawlawi Abdolhamid's criticisms is noted. A campaign by Baluch activists reports the prominent presence of government forces in Zahedan. The silent march of citizens after Friday prayers and exiting the Zahedan prayer hall on November 26, the funeral of three political prisoners executed on November 22 in Zahedan, and the number of children detained in Piranshahr reaching five were also highlighted. The government's approach has become 'security-oriented,' with the police in Sistan and Baluchestan equipped with armored vehicles, leading users to comment that this is for repression. Mawlawi Abdolhamid stated that the families of the victims of 'Bloody Friday' are under pressure to accept blood money, while a police official stated that 'bulletproof vehicles' are being deployed in Sistan and Baluchestan.