Police Accuses Western Media of 'Lying' Regarding Clashes with Dervishes

The head of Tehran's police announced that this force, the judiciary, or any other agencies have no plans to confront the dervishes in the capital of Iran and accused Western media of 'lying.' According to Fars News Agency, Hossein Rahimi on Tuesday, February 5, discussed the gathering of Gonabadi dervishes on Pasdaran Street in Tehran on Sunday, February 4, and the police's actions, stating that the information and news published about arrests or confrontations are completely false and lies. He accused 'hostile media' of 'fanning the flames' of these reports, adding: 'Neither the police, nor the judiciary, nor any other agency has had or has any plans to confront the dervishes in Tehran.' The head of Tehran's police also commented on the 'damage caused during this gathering,' saying: 'Unfortunately, some did not comply; the police showed leniency and mercy in this matter, and some individuals among them took advantage.' Previously, the website Majzoban Noor, close to the Gonabadi dervishes, reported that the dissemination of certain news and scattered reports regarding the movements and decisions of security agencies concerning Nourali Tabandeh, the leader of the dervishes, has increased concerns among the dervishes. Majzoban Noor added that it does not have precise information regarding the accuracy of the published news. According to this report, on Sunday evening, after Nourali Tabandeh's command to the Gonabadi dervishes to leave the area, part of the dervish population decreased, and other dervishes attempted to maintain calm in the area by staying inside vehicles. Majzoban Noor reported on Saturday night that security forces and plainclothes agents were deployed around the residence of the Gonabadi dervish leader in what was described as an 'aggressive action' aimed at 'tightening the communication circle' of Mr. Tabandeh. This action, described as 'bullying and police behavior,' led to reactions from the followers of Nourali Tabandeh and resulted in scattered clashes. In this context, images and videos were published on social media showing clashes between Gonabadi dervishes and security forces, indicating that several motorcycles and a Peugeot vehicle were damaged and abandoned on the street. Previously, security forces had been present in this area on the evening of January 24 in a similar action. The 'Sultan Ali Shah Ni'matullahi Order,' whose followers are commonly known as Gonabadi dervishes, is one of the Sufi orders that adheres to the principles and branches of Twelver Shi'ism. However, certain specific beliefs of the followers of this order have led the Islamic Republic to suppress them severely in recent years. During this time, several of their prayer houses have been destroyed, hundreds of dervishes have been arrested and imprisoned, and some have been barred from education. The suppression of dervishes in Iran has also faced protests from international organizations. In this context, according to Majzoban Noor, Sepideh Moradi, a dervish of the Ni'matullahi Gonabadi order, who was pursuing a master's degree in computer science at Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran, was expelled from this university on February 2 at the order of security agencies. According to this report, this student had previously been summoned by the disciplinary committee of Tarbiat Modares University to sign a selective commitment letter, which she refused to sign. Ms. Moradi's expulsion has led to protests from the student council at Tarbiat Modares University, which described this expulsion as illegal, stating that the right to education is a fundamental right of all individuals in society. Every citizen, regardless of gender, ethnicity, and religion, has the right to access educational facilities.