As result of continued pressure by the government on Dervishes of Gonabadi Order, they will begin to protest outside the Supreme leader’s house.

Dr Noor Ali Tabandeh the leader of ‘Nematollahi Gonabadi Sufi Order’ in Iran has been summoned to a revolutionary court in Tehran . The pressure by the government on the Gonabadi order is to such an extent that the government has even wiped clean name of town of “Gonabad” from map of Iran .

After the court summon, more then 5,000 dervishes gathered outside of the Soltani Shrine in Beydokh. In an interview by Jaras, Dr Seyed Azmayesh the representative of the ‘Nematollahi- Gonabadi Sufi Order’ outside of Iran , warned that” in the event the government continues to put pressure on Dr Noor Ali Tabandeh, the dervishes of Gonabadi order both inside and outside of Iran will rise in protest”.

Jaras: How and when was Dr Noor Ali Tabandeh chosen as a leader for dervishes of Nematollahi Gonabadi Sufi Order?

Dr Mostafa Azmayesh: Twelve years ago, after the very suspicious death of the prior leader Mahboob Ali Shah at age of 52, in his will asked that his uncle Dr Noor Ali Tabandeh to take over the responsibility of Gonabadi Sufi Order

Jaras: why do they call Dr Noor Ali Tabandeh, Majzoob Ali Shah?

Dr Mostafa Azmayesh: This is a Sufi title and because Sufis are students of substantial evolution path, the light of god enters to their heart that are related to different names of god and based on this they are given a title. This is a practice in Sufism.

Jaras: Dr Noor Ali Tabandeh, was a political and social activist in the past do you think the pressures on dervishes from the government has got anything to do with his personality and his point of view for freedom of human rights?

Dr Mostafa Azmayesh: NO. This government does not tolerate any other belief and other religions other then their own ideology, therefore this has got nothing to do with Dr Noor Ali Tabandeh.

Jaras: Dervishes have always stayed away from politics, why is it the Iranian regime puts so much political pressure and limitation on dervishes?

Dr Mostafa Azmayesh: Dervishes believe in separation of religion from politic as you mentioned, however this does not mean that they are passive and don’t care about the condition of their society they live in. They participate in elections, and defend their own and other citizens basic human rights. In Iran when you defend your basic human rights you are labeled as a political activist working against the government!

Jaras: recently the revolutionary court has summoned Dr Noor Ali Tabandeh. Is this a first time? Or any other officers have ever been under investigation or interrogation?

Dr Mostafa Azmayesh: Unfortunately the intelligence and security agents have take the maximum advantage from the judiciary system in order to silence the people and spread terror. In 2007 intelligence and security agents kidnapped Dr Tabandeh from his home in Beydokh, Gonabad. However, this time they used a different method, through summoning him to appear at court. This summon was not even send to his home! But to a library, that belongs to him.

Dr Tabandeh could not attend the court hearing due to ill health and old age, and his lawyer took the medical report to the court to testify to his ill health. However, if the pressures on Dr Tabandeh continues there is no doubt that all the followers of Nematollahi Gonabadi Order in Iran and rest of the world will rise together to protest against this pressure.

Jaras : We have found out that more then 5,000 dervishes have gathered outside of Soltani Shrine in Beydokh in order protest to the revolutionary court order against Dr Noor Ali Tabandeh. Are the protesters still there? And will they continue?

Dr Mostafa Azmayesh: Yes, dervishes are there and the protests will continue. They are prepared to take immediate action if there is an even smallest insult to their leader. This is something that has been demonstrated in past, when they have been able to gather and form a united front in a short space of time.

Jaras: Tell us how the dervishes have been able to gather together in a short space of time?

Dr Mostafa Azmayesh: Dervishes use Internet facilities, web logs and websites to inform each other and others.As it was demonstrated it took two hours for more than five thousand dervishes to gather together outside of Esfahan prison in order to release Mr. Mahjoubi.

Dervishes have two red lines that will not allow others pass without protest, first; insulting their leaders, second; insulting and breaking into Soltani Shrine in Beydokh. If the government passes these two red lines, dervishes inside and outside of Iran will demonstrate. As Dr Tabandeh says:” A Dervish in friendship is as transparent as crystal clear water and against injustice and despot is as hard as granite rock.”

Jaras: what is your opinion about the fake mysticism which common in our society and perhaps they have copied the shape and form of Sufism but it does not have the same value?

Dr Mostafa Azmayesh:

In general the dialogue among the dissidents is part of each human being right and every human is naturally born to think and one can not take away the right of free thinking or restrict a man’s thought in a particular frame work. Therefore, for this reason the dialogue on what constitutes a fake mysticism is not right. After all who has the right to determine what is fake or not? This is not type of conversation to have in a democratic society and those who talk about fake mysticism don’t have any expertise in this field.

LAST WORDS: Finally like to say few words: dervishes are against war and violence, however if there is injustice against them they will defend their human and social rights as wells as their fellow citizens rights. They are strongly united and willing to die for their rights.

The main source of this news from ” Inside of Iran website “