The website of Majzooban Noor, as the news station of Nematollahi Gonabadi Dervishes, has recently launched the ” Dervishes migrate from Iran to Evin” campaign where applicants register to volunteer to migrate to Evin Prison.
In this regard, Farhad Noori, the current editor-in-chief of Majzooban Noor news website, explains the objectives of and reasons behind launching this campaign, with a particular focus on the current situation:
“After Mr. Rouhani’s government took office, most of the previous government’s responsibilities regarding suppression of sufis seem to have been assigned to the judiciary. Not only has the same approach been maintained in different manners since a year ago, but also restrictions and maltreatments have increased and grown more severe. Let’s consider some examples:
Mr. Vahid Banaii was murdered by security forces who were using “Gun Colt” during the Conflicts in the city of Kavar, in Shahrivar, 1390 (September, 2011). His next of kin filed a lawsuit in this regard. Despite Justice expert panel’s confirming that the murder had occurred as a result of a shooting from behind in a distance of less than five meters, the Justice Department of Kavar avoided the pursuit of the major instigators of this situation and the security soldier who had shot this Gonabadi Dervish, is free. Consequently, the case was not pursued due to some influential individuals’unlawful conduct in the security system of Iran. Attempts have been made to put an end to the case through the judge’s changing the case from voluntary to involuntary manslaughter, paying blood money to the next of kin, and giving the whole thing a legalfaçade. This has not been accepted by the victim’s family, who are still trying to pursue the murderer of their son.
Saleh-Abad Garden was built by His Holliness Mr. Saleh-Ali Shah in the city of Beidokht and has a proof of ownership and supporting valid documents. This year Gonabad’s court issued a verdict of its being a national property, giving it to Natural Resources Organization, cutting all trees in it, and fencing it in. Once this verdict is accepted, the Ministry of Jihad-e-Agriculture will obtain possession of this garden.
The “executive committee of Imam Orders” has obtained possession of part of properties and endowments belonging to the leaders of Gonabadi Sufi Order in the city of Beidokht.
The Revolution Court of Shiraz and Justice Department of Kavar convicted a considerable number of Dervishes and imposed heavy and long-term penalties on them, such as imprisonment and exile, such that recently 35 Gonabadi Dervishes living in Fars province have been sentenced to a total of 85 years of imprisonment.
Further restrictions have been imposed on Dervish prisoners such as depriving them of their right to meet with their families and have access to specialist medical treatment, exile, segregating prisoners, and threating the families of some of the prisoners because of their interviews with media and informing them of the prisoners’ conditions.
The News Office of the Ministry of Intelligence summoned a number of Gonabadi Dervishes in different cities in Iran and threatened them to stop their Dervish ceremonies.
There has been a considerable increase in destructive activities meant to tarnish the reputation of sufism and spirituality, such as organizing seminars in academia, speeches in mosques, and ideological courses in different organizations as well as publishing books and spreading news, which are full of lies, in the cyber space.
Media boycott of Dervishes has been maintained and severe limitations have been imposed on the media and press by the Supreme Council of National Security to the point that all media in Iran avoided any mention of sufis’ rallies in front of Prosecutor-General’s office and beating and imprisonment of women and children on the 17th and 18th of Esfand, 1392(March, the 8th and 9th, 2014). While all these are happening, the news related to ‘the worried’ (those worried about the current Iranian government’s approach to negotiation over Iran’s nuclear activitiesin Geneva Conventions) and their gatherings in Iran are spread extensively. However, it seems that the Iranian authorities are much more worried about the spread of news related to Dervishes in media and the press than about the nuclear talks as they have enacted an outright ban on revealing news related to sufis”.
Farhad Noori hopes that the Iranian senior officials fight against oppression that Muslim Dervishes are suffering. With regard to the implementation of the “Sufis’ migration to Evin” campaign, he says:
“All of these measures have been taken since a year ago. Mr. Rouhani’s promises about attempts to defend the violated rights of ethnic minorities and religious communities and implement forgotten and ignored laws of the Constitution which are related to the nation’s rights have remained unfulfilled. This is because, despite the government’s attempts, extremists, who were part of the previous government, thwart these attempts. How the government is interacting with its tough opponents within the state has particularly highlighted the problems, and even if the government has the will to bring about any changes, it has not benefited citizens, especially for Dervishes, in practice. Instead, on some occasions, unfortunately sufis have had to suffer the consequences of power struggles going on within the state. It has been a year since the current government took office, which does not seem to be too short a period to solve these issues and problems. How long do people have to put up with these conditions? Therefore, given the current historical stage where the difficult conditions imposed on Dervishes has turned Iran into a prison for them and Dervishes’ willingness to sympathize with and support each other and their imprisoned brothers who once were their lawyers but now are behind bars, the news website of Majzooban Noor decided to help Dervishes express their objections to the existing situation through launching the campaign and making it possible for Dervishes to register. The campaign’s highly favorable and growing reception from sufis across the world is indicative of their willingness to express their objections.
I hope those governing Iran commit themselves to obey and enforce rules, listen to Dervishes’ objections, fight against oppression they are suffering, and help solve problems they are faced with. Otherwise, in reaction to any new measures taken by extremists in Iran’s decision-making, especially in the judiciary, this campaign will be executed, the details of which will be announced through Majzooban Noor.