Friday Prayer Leaders: Protesters are 'American, Israeli, and Anti-Islam'

Several Friday prayer leaders in Iran deemed the protests against rising prices as 'justified', while labeling the demonstrators in several cities of Razavi Khorasan province on Thursday as 'American, Israeli, and anti-Islam', claiming that the gatherings 'under the pretext of rising prices' are 'a new plot by enemies to overthrow the regime'. According to Tasnim News Agency, Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, on Friday, January 8, referred to the gathering of some protesters in the city, stating that the demands of depositors of financial institutions and the people's requests to combat inflation are 'undeniably justified'. He criticized the participants in the gathering, asking, 'Are you really feeding the enemy's media, which has no means of suppressing us other than incitement and propaganda?' Alamolhoda also considered the government-organized rally on January 9 as a response to what he called 'the slandering of foreign mercenaries' during the Thursday gathering in Mashhad, adding: 'This presence is a response to those who came among the people yesterday and disrupted their rightful demands.' Reports from media and social networks indicated that cities such as Mashhad, Nishapur, Kashmar in Razavi Khorasan province, and Shahroud in Semnan province witnessed protests titled 'No to Inflation' on Thursday. These protests spread to several other cities on Friday. Meanwhile, the Friday prayer leader of Kashmar described the gathering 'under the pretext of rising prices' as 'a new plot by enemies to overthrow the regime'. Kazem Tabatabai labeled the inflation protesters as 'American, Israeli, and anti-Islam', stating that 'the government and security forces are obliged to stand against these individuals and not allow a disorganized group to disrupt the country'. Similarly, Gholamreza Maghiseh, the Friday prayer leader of Sabzevar, stated that 'holding street gatherings provides media fodder for the enemies of the regime'. Several other Friday prayer leaders from cities across Iran, including the Friday prayer leader of Isfahan, have also warned about what they call the 'exploitation' of public gatherings regarding economic issues or water shortages. Meanwhile, Ghiasoddin Tahmohammadi, the Friday prayer leader of Hamadan, acknowledged that 'the people are upset about inflation', but added that 'the people must be vigilant because the enemy has been lurking since the elections to create unrest'. These statements from the Friday prayer leaders come as Eshaq Jahangiri, the First Vice President of Iran, implicitly attributed the organization of these gatherings to government opponents, stating that 'the initiators of street movements will not be the ones to end them'. No political group in Iran had issued an official call for participation in the Thursday gathering in Razavi Khorasan province. Some opposition figures, including Reza Pahlavi, the former crown prince of Iran, and Maryam Rajavi, a senior leader of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization, welcomed these gatherings. 'The reason for earthquakes is sins and the prevalence of usury,' the Friday prayer leader of Tehran remarked on recent earthquakes, stating that 'the sins of neglecting the deprived and the prevalence of usury in banks are what shake the earth. Let us have mercy on the people, let us not sin, and the tremors of the earth will cease.' According to Mehr News Agency, Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani added: 'Many countries have solved the earthquake problem; Japan constantly shakes but does not harm the people... If we do not have this technology, we must acquire it at any cost.' Previously, some Friday prayer leaders and clerics have linked natural disasters, including earthquakes and floods, to what they call 'the increase of sins'. In the past two weeks, two earthquakes in Tehran caused many people to leave their homes, leading to long lines at gas stations. In recent weeks, other earthquakes have occurred in various parts of Iran, with the earthquake on November 21 in Kermanshah province leaving around 600 dead and 10,000 injured. In this context, Senator Cotton, referring to the protests in Mashhad, called for support for the people of Iran.