Three Dervishes Killed in Armed Attack on a Monastery in Saqqez

In an armed attack by 'unknown individuals' on a monastery in the 'Tappeh Malan' neighborhood of Saqqez in Kurdistan province, three dervishes were killed. According to local media, Sheikh Azad Shahabi, who is said to be a prominent dervish in the region, and two of his followers were killed in the attack on this place of worship early Thursday morning. Some sources have identified the two as Dervish Parviz and Dervish Payman. The governor of Saqqez and law enforcement officials state that the assailant or assailants have not yet been identified. Dervishes are among the groups that have systematically faced harassment, arrests, long-term imprisonment, exile, or bans on participating in political and social activities in the Islamic Republic over the past few decades. The Kayhan newspaper, which operates under the supervision of Ali Khamenei's representative, criticized the reopening of the central Gonabadi dervish monastery on Behesht Street in Tehran in April of this year, calling for action against these dervishes. Additionally, see: 'Punitive' transfer of a political prisoner to solitary confinement and warnings about the health of a imprisoned dervish. The annual report on 'International Religious Freedom' by the U.S. State Department: The repression of religious minorities in Iran continues. Leaders of the Global Religious Freedom Conference to VOA: The Islamic Republic no longer enjoys popular support.