Two Shia Authorities Compare Gonabadi Dervishes to ISIS

While the leader of the Gonabadi dervishes has called for calm among his followers, the Islamic Republic's officials continue their attacks on this group, with two Shia authorities labeling them as "false mysticism," "false and deviant," and comparing them to ISIS. According to Fars News Agency, Ayatollah Hossein Noori Hamedani, a Shia authority, referred to the Sufis as "a deviant sect" and called for "retribution" in relation to the clashes in Pasdaran Street in Tehran. He added, "Officials who have said these people are rational and moderate are mistaken; they are false and deviant and are lying." On Monday night and early Tuesday, a major clash occurred between security forces and Gonabadi dervishes in Pasdaran Street, during which, according to Islamic Republic officials, three police officers and one Basij member were killed, and another Basij member is in a coma. Naser Makarem Shirazi, another Shia authority, also commented on this incident on Saturday, stating that "false mysticism leads to dangerous religious, social, and moral issues, one example being this painful incident in Tehran." He added, "ISIS members are the Wahhabis who support false monotheism, considering everyone else infidels and deeming their blood permissible; this group also supports false mysticism and is similar to them in some respects." This Shia authority expressed hope that officials would be careful with their expressions when discussing them and not say anything contrary to religious teachings that would have the opposite effect. The criticism from these Shia authorities regarding the labeling of the dervishes as "moderate" may be a reaction to statements by Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Iran's Minister of Interior, and some other officials who stated, "We consider the dervish movement in the country to be rational, logical, and moderate and do not attribute the events in Pasdaran Street to this movement at all." The statements from these two Shia authorities against the Gonabadi dervishes come at a time when Noor Ali Tabandeh, the leader of the Gonabadi dervishes, has called for calm among his followers. Previously, reports had emerged regarding the destruction of the Gonabadi dervishes' Hosseiniyeh, supported by Hossein Noori Hamedani and some other Shia authorities. Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, also described the dervishes as "spies of the enemy" and attributed the clashes between this group and the police to "U.S. and U.K. planning," an accusation that Islamic Republic officials typically make against all opposition groups without providing evidence. Among government, security, and military officials, the U.S., Israel, and Saudi Arabia have been accused of being involved in widespread protests in Iran in December without evidence. On Saturday, the Tehran prosecutor also reported on the "determination of the status" of the dervishes detained in the Pasdaran clashes without providing details, stating that "the main perpetrators will not be released soon" and will be "punished." According to IRNA, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi stated that 30 judges and seven deputy prosecutors in Tehran are working to "investigate the accused and determine their status." The Tehran prosecutor also called on security agencies to identify "those who were behind the scenes and the main perpetrators who have not yet been arrested so that action can be taken against them as well." Mr. Jafari Dolatabadi did not provide further details about the "determination of the status" of the detained individuals. He only announced that some of the detainees were "main perpetrators" while others were "misled," stating that "the main perpetrators will not be released soon" and "will be introduced to the court for trial upon completion of investigations." According to the judicial procedures of the Islamic Republic, the prosecutor can issue a dismissal order for the accused or issue an indictment and send the case to court. Meanwhile, the Tehran prosecutor has promised that the court for the detainees from these clashes will be held soon. Mr. Jafari Dolatabadi had also reported on March 3 about the issuance of an indictment for the "perpetrator" responsible for the deaths of three police officers on charges of "premeditated murder," an incident that occurred during the clashes between security forces and the dervishes. The Tehran prosecutor's emphasis on punishing the detained Gonabadi dervishes comes at a time when a protest gathering by the Gonabadi dervishes around the home of Noor Ali Tabandeh, the leader of this order, turned violent due to the intervention of security forces and plainclothes motorcyclists. Meanwhile, the Human Rights Defenders' Center, chaired by Shirin Ebadi, reported human rights violations in Iran in February, stating that "the source of many unfortunate events in street protests is the presence and intervention of Basij forces at the scene of the incident." Unconfirmed reports have also emerged regarding the deaths of several dervishes. Farhad Noori, a rights activist for the dervishes in Iran, announced that at least 500 Gonabadi dervishes have been detained, and the Majzooban Noor website has also published the names of over 300 detained dervishes. The police's response to reports about the "beating" of a pregnant woman has also been noted. The Majzooban Noor website reported that Leili Nayebzadeh, a Gonabadi dervish detained in Pasdaran, was subjected to "interrogation" and "beating" while pregnant. However, the police announced on Friday that a woman who was detained and declared she was pregnant was "immediately" released, and there are no women among the detained dervishes. Hassan Rahimi, the head of Tehran police, stated on Wednesday night, March 2, in a television program regarding these clashes that "we could have" attacked the targeted house "with an RPG, but we acted with authority and wisdom." The gathering of Gonabadi dervishes initially began in front of Police Station 102 in Pasdaran, northern Tehran, in protest against the detention of one of the dervishes named Nematollah Riahi. About two weeks prior, Gonabadi dervishes had gathered after reports emerged about the establishment of a checkpoint near Noor Ali Tabandeh's house, which also turned violent due to the intervention of security forces. The actions of the Islamic Republic against this group intensified in 2005, when widespread destruction of Gonabadi dervishes' Hosseiniyehs began in various cities in Iran, followed by the detention of many dervishes. Meanwhile, the Human Rights Defenders' Center wrote in an open letter to the UN Secretary-General in 2014 that Gonabadi dervishes have faced "continuous harassment such as imprisonment, deprivation of social rights, threats..." for over 15 years.