Mawlawi Abdulhamid: Holding Elections with Past Methods is 'Useless'

Mawlawi Abdulhamid, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Zahedan, on Friday, August 18, criticized the upcoming pre-registration for the twelfth round of the Islamic Consultative Assembly elections, stating that holding elections for the parliament and presidency using the same methods and policies as before is 'useless' for solving the people's problems and pulling the country out of its current crises. The Friday prayer leader of Zahedan and head of the Coordination Council of Sunni Religious Schools in Sistan and Baluchestan described 'change in perspectives and policies' and 'deep transformations for the benefit of the people' as the solutions to Iran's problems. According to the information office of the Zahedan Friday prayer leader, he pointed out that 'despite the fact that elections have been held and there is a government and parliament, unfortunately, we are witnessing an increase in crises in the country, and the nation is facing problems and deadlocks that seem endless, with these problems increasing day by day.' Since the killing of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police, Mawlawi Abdulhamid has criticized the Islamic Republic almost every week during Friday prayers in Zahedan. In some of his criticisms, he has held the Supreme Leader and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for the current situation in Iran and has called for equality of rights for all Iranians regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or gender. During his speech on Friday, he posed the question, 'Will these problems and deadlocks be resolved if a new parliament and government come to power?' He added, 'If it is a repetition of the same old patterns and the same parliament is repeated, and problems are constantly added, then it is of no use.' He also questioned, 'Is there a bright future that suggests that with the election of a new parliament or government, life will become easier for the people? But if there is no bright horizon and the situation remains the same with the election of a new parliament, where the maximum activity of a representative is limited to bread, gasoline, and asphalt, which are all the responsibilities of the government, then this is of no benefit.' Mawlawi Abdulhamid further stated, 'If it is to be the same as before, where ethnic groups are brought into the parliament for bread and names... if governments come to power in the same way without having powers or acting correctly, this is of no use. A fundamental rethink is necessary.' Regarding the performance of the Assembly of Experts, he said, 'If they only hold a meeting every six months and do not supervise the performance of the leadership's sub-organizations, which are also large and influential organizations, this is of no use.' Mawlawi Abdulhamid called on the Assembly of Experts to make suggestions to the leadership and emphasized that the Supreme Leader needs consultation, and the representatives of the Assembly of Experts who are close to him should convey issues and provide advice. He also noted that 'there are many flaws' in the United States, Europe, and Israel, stating, 'Sometimes the U.S. Congress attacks the President, or the House of Commons criticizes officials, and there is freedom of expression and the press.' The head of the Coordination Council of Sunni Religious Schools in Sistan and Baluchestan also referred to the situation in Israel, saying, 'In Israel, which has occupied Palestinian lands and we all believe has committed a great injustice, these days when the far-right Prime Minister wants to limit the powers of the judiciary, the entire nation, even the armed forces, have risen against this decision and are protesting, saying the Prime Minister wants to steer the government system toward dictatorship.' Mawlawi Abdulhamid added, 'However, in our country's custom, there is no resignation at all. We have not seen representatives of the parliament, representatives of the Assembly of Experts, or even the government resign in protest and for the benefit of the people.' He spoke about many different segments of the people and imprisoned protesters, including 'women, journalists, academics, and scholars,' stating, 'The nation should not be beaten for protesting... Suppressing the nation is not right.' Mawlawi Abdulhamid asked, 'Are these people really killed for America and Israel and have lost their eyes for America, and those who are in prison are imprisoned for America, Israel, and Europe, or do they have problems, are hungry, humiliated, and facing deadlocks?' He called for Iran to emerge from this situation, saying, 'Enduring this situation is difficult for the people. Work must be entrusted to capable and competent individuals.' Following the protests in Zahedan, demonstrators again took to the streets on Friday, August 18, after Friday prayers, chanting for the release of political prisoners.