Regime in Iran doesn’t stop its persecutions

iran-sufi

 

Collection of papers dealing with the latest attacks by the regime in Iran against Sufis.

Dervishes threatened to interrupt treatment and be returned to prison

According to the oral order of the deputy prosecutor, the prison authorities of Evin by dispatching the guards of the jail, threatened the imprisoned dervishes admitted in the Shohada e Tajrish hospital to take them back to jail if they defy using handcuffs and shackles.

Following Mr. Khodabakhshi’s visit (Sunday 26 April), deputy prosecutor and prosecutor overseeing security political prisoners, from the mentioned hospital and imprisoned prisoners, yesterday afternoon, the dervish prisoners were admitted to this hospital by an oral order and were required to use handcuffs and shackles.

Mr. Hamid-Reza Moradi and Mr. Mostafa Daneshjou, two human rights activists of Gonabadi Dervishes, who are now admitted in this hospital, declared the oral statement had no legal basis and refused to be handcuffed and shackled. Afterwards their action prompted the prison authorities to threaten them to interrupt their treatment and were sent back to jail.

Consequently, the treatment team of these two dervishes refused the transfer of them to the prison, and declared that any involvement in the prisoner’s treatment would need a written notice and letter issued by the judicial authorities.

According to their physicians, these two dervishes who suffer from lung and heart diseases must be strongly kept away from stress and conditions which cause tensions.

*

Closing Down of the Charity Organisation “Reza Aid/Social Service” of Dervishes

This NGO has have been giving services over twenty years in various fields of social charity services, such as, education, health, employment, helping the age, homeless, and etc, as result the residence home for elderly has been closed and elderly men and women are now homeless.

The building of “Reza Social Service” institute, affiliated with Gonabadi Dervishes, was shut down, barricaded and sealed. Other social service buildings including the administrative, education, and even the elderly home divisions were also shut down.

Confiscated several non-profit social service organizations including the elderly welfare home, only because honourable Dervishes worked there in selfless service to god’s creation. In a brazen act of law-breaking and astonishing new laws of inhumanness, the security agents threw frail and helpless elderly people, who were there for medical care and supervision, into the streets and sent them adrift and homeless from their place of care.

With involvement by plain-clothes agents of the “Bureau of Sects and Religions”, the security forces of the Army, Basij (para-military forces) and Intelligence Service entered the private home of Mr. Ali Akbar Bonakdar, a member of the Gonabadi Dervishes and the director of the non- profit institute known as “Madad-kari-ye Reza” (Reza Social Service). They confiscated all of Mr. Bonakdar’s personal property, and transferred them together with him and his family members to the offices of the institute for further investigation. There, the aforementioned agents began to review the documents and records available in the offices, and then seized, packed, confiscated and hauled away all documents, records, computers and all other equipment and property of the “Reza Social Service” institute. With the help of a group of Gonabadi Dervishes, the “Reza Social Service” institute has been operating for over 20 years and serving the public in a multitude of social service arenas, including education, healthcare, job placement, elderly home, etc.

It should be mentioned that some notable individuals such as Parvin Soleymani, an old actress of theater and cinema and one of the followers of mysticism, had spent the final years of her life without being supported by any institution at the Reza Aid Center.

THE FACT SHEET

320 family received weekly a basket of 18 feeding articles for free
0% rate loans for thousands people
Free or almost free medical services for TEN THOUSANDS of people
Identifying and understanding the elderly
Filing at the Center for Senior Services (Home Work)
Examination and tests, massage, cupping
Remedy: Visit, if necessary, provide medication, physiotherapy and occupational therapy, admission and discharge from the hospital
Client visit: visit at home and a hospital worker, depending on client needs at least once a week for problems
financial needs after investigation
Prepare for daily life as possible
Bringing to pilgrimage for peace of the heart and taking care of mental patients
Set children nutrition programs according to the doctors and dietitians
creating entertainment for clients (out places of pilgrimage, gatherings, parties, short trips, picnic)
Use of client skills in the fields of culture and art
Maintenance elderly loved ones at home when traveling family work
Maintenance elderly loved ones at home if they did not work and second-degree relatives
IT consulting specialists
establishing the office on Tuesdays morning, visiting the elderly at home and work for free
visiting seasonal exhibition and shopping tours
training classes (Qur’an, first aid and injections, teaching sewing, calligraphy instruction in writing) for free.
*

Letter from one of the Social Service activists of Madadkari Reza

Human beings are Members of a Whole,
In creation of, One essence and soul,
If one member is, Afflicted with pain,
The other members, Uneasy remain,
One with no pity, For the human pain,
The name of Human, He cannot retain.

Sa’adi Shirazi

A Briefing about non-lucrative, citizen fellow network of helpers, known as Madadkari Reza in Iran, organized by Sufi of Gonabadi Order Community, recently closed by Iranian security forces.

In 1994-95 the oppressions against the Sufis of Gonabadi Order in Islamic Republic of Iran took a more serious allure. Groups of Sufi technocrats, high rank managers, specialists and teachers in public sector, administration, army and education sectors, were fired because of their faith.

The community of Sufis of Gonabadi Order in Iran, is a peaceful group of Shiites, believing on religion of peace and love, and preaching the moderate aspects of the Islam. So some of our Sufi confreres gathered to help and back the families without revenues, issued of such ideological unjust discriminations. We organized ourselves, as a network of donators and humanitarian activists and volunteers, under a non-lucrative humanitarian aid institution form, we named as Madadkari Reza (Imam Reza Help Center).

Initially the purposes of this network of humanitarian volunteers, was to provide maximum help to those brothers and sisters around us, who were deprived from their civic rights, due to their philosophical belief, providing them juridical advisory, helping them find new jobs to feed their family and guarantee the minimum healing, medical and lodging facilities for their family.

After a while we realized the adventure we got into was much more vaster than we have imagined initially. Despite the huge waste of finances and capitals to entertain useless issues by the governments, the victims of misery were increasing incredibly. The whole society was terribly suffering inside a country whereof boils gas and oil from the earth.

So we increased our efforts day and night and everywhere we could, and opened our doors to all vulnerable and helpless layers of the society like orphans, parentless children, labor kids, workless women and help needing families, old

persons and people suffering high cost treatment diseases, like cancer, for whom the government does not take any action due to lack of budget or attention or some other concerns like deprivement from job or other sentences, due to political or ideological issues.

The more we helped, the more helpers joined us, and we were solicited to help more. That made our utmost honor to act as our human duty dictates us, regardless of the faith, the color or ethnical roots of our fellow next.

The humanitarian efficient example was followed and the same networks of helper and people needing assistance were formed in almost all cities in Iran, where Sufi gatherings have place.

According to Quran we are bound to put aside a percentage of our revenues for weak layers of the society and bringing help to them.

Historically these funds, known as Islamic taxes, were supposed to be in hands of trusted religious clergies, to be distributed on its suitable way. Whilst during the last decades, our trust on this issue was harmed and we noticed that not all of Islamic taxes were distributed correctly in equity. So we preferred to endorse our responsibility to spend our taxes in ways we were assured from priorities and correct usages.

Since 1995, the initial formation of Madad-Kari Reza, we could at least serve tenths of thousands of Iranian citizens in this way.

We sent patients to heal beyond doctors for treatment, to hospitals for surgeries and healing. We sent disables to physiotherapy and provided dentist healings, serving up to ophthalmological treatments and prosthesis for deaf and old persons, for whom we transformed one of our houses into a nursing, retirement house.

We provided loans without any interest to families. We formed free school courses for labor kids, and students in weak families. We offer professional courses to let have young people a suitable job. We financially backed up students to graduate from universities.

So many young couples without resources honored us to have share on their happiness, at least for providing them, the least initial furniture to begin a correct common life.

We actually have 320 families under a permanent coverage, including helpless mothers, disabled and elderly persons, providing funds and essential items for their survival.

Maybe influenced by fundamentalist clergies claiming the power of God on the Earth, the action of security forces, backed by extremist paramilitary forces and guardians, prevents us from helping our weak fellow next and letting spread the spirit of compassion and notion of human peaceful life.

*

Gonabadi Dervish Place of Worship on Kish Island sealed off

The site of Gonabadi dervishes which the religious ceremonies of Friday nights used to be held has been sealed off and closed down.

Following the notice issued by the Kish Free Industry Organization to vacate straightaway the site of religious ceremonies of Gonabadi dervishes, the legal officers of this department without presenting any legal document sealed this site here on 29 April 2015.

This is the second religious site of Gonabadi dervishes which has been sealed on Kish Island.

Prior to this, another religious site, the place of worship (Hoseyniyeh) of this mystic Order had been sealed by the order of security agencies in year 1387 (2008).

It should be mentioned that the site of Gonabadi dervishes has been sealed while also the Reza Aid Center (charity center) affiliated with the dervishes of this mystic Order was sealed by those who are believed by Mashregh News extremist Website that they belonged to security and intelligence agencies.

*

Qutb (Leader) of Gonabadi Dervishes Chased by Security and Plainclothes Forces

On (12th of Ordibehesht 1394/ 2, May, 2015), His Holiness Haj Dr. Noor Ali Tabandeh, Majzoob Ali Shah”, the Gutb of Gonabadi Dervishes, was heading to Hosiniyeh (the place of worship) of Gonabadi dervishes to take part in the religious celebration of Imam Ali’s birthday, three plainclothes forces in their cars along with a motorcycle chased after his car and began to shoot photos while their faces were masked.

The drivers of the mentioned cars by driving hazardously and perilously around the vehicles of his escorts tried to create terror and horror deliberately.

This report adds, this had carried out and repeated by the plainclothes forces in a subtler form last day.

It is quite obvious that any repetition of this insulting and perilous act by the security and intelligence forces won’t be tolerated by Gonabadi Dervishes.

*

Iranian Parliament has rectified the Act of Protection of Actors on “Enjoining Good And Forbidding Wrong”

Here under the text decreed by Ali Larijani, the head of Iranian parliament to the president of Islamic Republic of Iran

To the venerable clergy, Dr. Hassan Rohani

The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran

In the framework of execution and fulfilment of fundament 123 of constitution of the IRI, the law of: “Protection of actors on Enjoining Good and Forbidding Wrong”, proposed with double priority to Islamic Iranian Parliament, voted on 12 April, 2015 and approved by Council of Guardians is decreed herein attached:

Art 1 – In this law the good and wrong indicate to each act or word or leaving of each act or word which are prescribed or prohibited as the first and the second rules in the Holey religion of Islam or in the law

Art 2- Enjoining Good and Forbidding Wrong is making the others to commit good and preventing them of doing wrong.

Art 3- In this law Enjoining Good and Forbidding Wrong indicate to an act which is obvious and requires no espionage.

Art 4- The phases of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Wrong begin first in own Heart, and then go further by tong , by writing and finally in action; the phases of tong and writing are in the all individuals and government’s competencies but the phase of action is only a competency of government and just in those case which are defined by law.

Art 5 – During the process of exercising of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Wrong, it is not allowed to violence any individuals’ prestige, life , residence, career, privacy, rights, unless in the cases which are prescribed by the law.

Note: the buildings which are in the public sight like the common sections of apartments, hotels and hospitals as well as the public transport will not be considered as privacy.

Art 6- Nobody has right to commit the criminal actions like insult, accusation, maim and assassination under title of “Enjoining Good and Forbidding Wrong” and the committers will be punished according to the Islamic Sanctions Law.

Art 7- The punishment for the people who commit criminal acts against the Enjoiners of Good and Forbidder of Wrong cannot be reduced nor suspended and issuance of judicial sentences may not be delayed.

Note : If the victim or the victim’s survivors withdraw from the process, still the public aspect of crime will be proceeded according to art. 614 of the Islamic Sanctions Law (fifth book: the sanctions and preventive punishments adopted 22 May 1996 ) and the note of art 286 of second book of Islamic Sanctions Law adopted 21 April 2013.

Art 8- The people enjoy the right of enjoining the good, advising and guidance over the function of government and they may in the framework of religion and law exercise the Enjoining of Good and Forbidding of Wrong towards all officials, authorities, managers, administrations, of all parts of the State and three branches including all ministries, organizations, institutes and the public and none

governmental foundations, Islamic revolution foundations, armed forces and all of governmental bodies whose their including in the law requires their name be mentioned.

Art 9- The individuals and the legal identities may not make any obstacle against exercising of the law of Enjoiners of Good and Forbidder of Wrong. Creating any difficulty which is defined as a guilt in the law, above the regular sanctions, will cause to be subjected to an extra sanction or to be fined of seventh grade. Concerning with the legal identity, those who misusing their power or legal and administrative authorities ,prevent the exercising of the law of Enjoiners of Good and Forbidder of Wrong by threat, warning, reprimand , reducing of wages and salaries, temporary or permanent dismissing , changing of place of service, degradation, deprivation of rights and privileges, will subjected to sanction mentioned in the part P of 20th Art of Islamic Sanctions Law above their usual administrative punishment according to law of administrative violations.

Note: The amounts received based on this Art after deposit to central reserve, will be paid 100 % to the Head Quarter of Enjoiners of Good and Forbidder of Wrong

Art 10- The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science Research and Technology, Radio and TV of Islamic Republic of Iran, The Ministry of Islamic Guidance, The Islamic Development Organization, The organization of Basij (para forces) , municipalities and the other foundation and cultural bodies are obliged to perpetrate the circumstances of Enjoiners of Good and Forbidder of Wrong by promoting the level of public knowledge about this fact via educative and informative manners.

Art 11- The judiciary is obliged to establish a special branch in order to accelerate the process of crimes subject of this law.

Note : The enjoiners good and forbidders wrong will be included those judicial protections which are the subject of Art 4 of the law of judicial protections of Basij forces adopted 22 Dec. 1992.

Art 12- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Cultural Heritage handmade industries and Tourism Organization, The Islamic Culture and Relations Organization and the other related organizations are obliged to make the foreigners clear about this law and observation of Islamic requirements before and during their travel to the Country.

Art 13- If a crime be committed to an Enjoiner Good and Forbidder Wrong and the wrongdoer is not found or is found but has no possibility to pay the blood money during the determined period, if the survivors of victim ask for blood money then the after issuance the final sentence, the blood money will be paid form the source which is subject of Note of Art 9 of this law.

Note: If the wrongdoer is found or has enough financial possibilities, and if the victim or its survivor gives permission, the Head Quarter will be allowed to claim the blood money and the other damages in related courts.

Art 14 – The public based organization whose Statute concerning with Enjoiners of Good and Forbidder of Wrong has been registered, may act according to Art 66 of Criminal Trail Law and its Notes.

Art 15- If the person who acts for exercising of Enjoiners of Good and Forbidder of Wrong gets physical or life hurt, , this hurt , based on the case , will be evaluated according to the Comprehensive Law of Dedicating Services to Sacrifices adopted dated 22 Dec. 2012 of The Expediency Discernment Council of the System and its executive provisions .

Note : Authenticating of Martyrdom or disabling will be based on suggestion of national committee consist of delegations of Judiciary, police, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Martyr and Sacrifice Foundation and the Head Quarter and approving a competent court.

Art 16- The Head Quarter of Enjoiners of Good and Forbidder of Wrong which in this law is named Head Quarter is responsible for duties as follow:

1- Policy making and basic guidelines concerning with Enjoiners of Good and Forbidder of Wrong and suggestion to related organizations

2- Exchange of information and opinion in order to form to policies related to Enjoiners of Good and Forbidder of Wrong

3- Pathology and finding the roots of leaving of Enjoiners of Good and Forbidder of Wrong

4- Determining of behavioral patterns

5- Preparations for participating of all individuals and administrative bodies as well as public media

in the affairs of Enjoiners of Good and Forbidder of Wrong

6- Observation of procedures done for exercising of this law and report them to related officials.

7- Codification of general educational approaches for various layers of society.

8- Education and research concerning with Enjoiners of Good and Forbidder of Wrong and promoting

its related culture

9- Recognizing the capacities and aid to formation of groups and active public organizations.

10- Supporting and coverage every legal action of Enjoiners of Good and Forbidder of Wrong

11- Following up every decree of Supreme Counsel of Cultural Revolution, in regards with duties of

headquarter related to operational issues for culture of chastity and hijab
12- Reporting annually to Supreme leader of revolution, the three forces and people

Notes:
1. Ministry of interior, after consulting the headquarter, is obliged to deliver permits for public based

organizations intending to act as Enjoiners of Good and Forbidders of Wrong.

2. Regional and provincial headquarters are authorized to evaluate inquiries of legal or real entities for participating in goal of accomplishment of Enjoining of Good and Forbidding of Wrong and in case of acceptation of inquiry, provide the advisory to province governor for obtaining the permit.

3. In case, an authority refuses to deliver such permit, without a justifiable excuse (according to juridical authorities), he will be subject to punishment, according to Art 570 of Islamic Sanction laws, Book 5- Preventive Punishments, decreed on 22 May 1996

4. The duties of the headquarter does not negate the duties of ministers, authorities of administration, subject to Art 5 of Country Management and Service Law, the heads of three forces, judicial authorities, judicial forces in relation with this law.

ART 17- The Organization of Basij (paramilitary security forces) is obliged to act through bassiji militia, and intervene through the structure of laws, for defining cultural rules, and act accordingly for Enjoining of Good and Forbidding of Wrong, verbally.

Notes:

1. The terms of this Art do not negate the duties of Basiji judicial forces, in cases foreseen by the law.

2. The amendment 3 of Art 1 of the law for Judicial Protection of Basiji Forces dated 22 Dec. 1992 is amended as following

3. The headquarter of enjoining good and forbidding wrong , in cooperation with Bassij Organization is bound to prepare courses for required persons, as preachers of enjoining good and forbidding wrong, for an operational and land issue, according to Art 4 of the law of Protection of Preachers of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Wrong.

ART 18- The authorities subject to Art 5 of The law for Country management and Services, decreed on 30 Sep. 2007, also institutions and private companies and center for public services and public places and syndicate units are obliged to observe this law.

ART 19- The members of Headquarter of Enjoining of Good and Forbidding of Wrong are as followings: 1- one of the temporary Imam Jumaa (Friday prayer Imam) of the city of Tehran, chosen by the Council

of Imam Jumaas Policy as the Head of the Headquarter.

2- Minister of Interior

3- Minister of security

4- Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance

5- Minister of education

6- Minister of Science, research and Technology

7- Minister of Industry Mining and Commerce

8- Two representatives from Islamic Parliament, proposed by cultural commission and chosen by

Parliament as supervisors

9- The full attorney of head of Judiciary

10-Head of Islamic Republic Radio Television

11-The director of Islamic Propaganda Organization

12-The commandant of police

13-The head of Bassij Organization

14-The secretary of Headquarter of Imam Jumaa’s

15-Two clergymen selected by the Supreme council of religious Islamic schools.

16-A clergywoman selected by the supreme council of religious Islamic schools for women.

17- Secretary of headquarter selected by head of headquarter

Notes :

1- Other people are not authorized to participate instead of members of Headquarter in meetings

2- The resolutions of headquarter are transmitted by the director to the executive forces and applicable within this law.

ART 20- The regional and provincial headquarters will act under surveillance of this headquarter, under frame of the a.m. law.

The members of State (Province) headquarter are as:

1- Imam Jumaa of the capital of state

2- Governor

3- The director of bureau of Security secret services

4- The director of bureau of culture and Islamic Guidance

5- The director of bureau of education

6- The director of one of the universities of the state of province selected by the director of headquarter

7- The director of bureau of Industry and Mine and Commerce of the province

8- Two parliament deputies of the region selected by the assembly of deputies of the region

9- The prosecutor of the province

10-The director of bureau of Islamic Propaganda Organization of the province

11-The director of bureau of Islamic coordination council of Islamic propagandas

12-The director of bureau of IRI Radio Television of Province

13-The commandant of the police forces

14-The Superior commandant of Guardians of the revolution

15-The secretary of headquarters of Imam Jumaa’s

16- A clergy man from Islamic schools for men of the region

17- A clergywoman from Islamic schools for women of the province

18- The secretary of Head quarter chosen by the director

The same for the cities……

ART 21-The executive organizations subject to this law are obliged to report the summary and quality of their operations, at least each 6 months to headquarter.

ART 22- The Headquarter is obliged to give the annual report to Cultural commission of Parliament during the annual week of Enjoining Good and forbidding Wrong

ART 23- In addition to use of the budget of Headquarter for Enjoining Good and F. W from the table 17, the raw budget of ” Helping legal non governmental entities subject to detail 3 raw 540000 table 9″, the government is allowed to use the cultural budget of executive offices and bureaus, concerned by this law and allocate these budgets to this effect.

ART 24 -The executional instructions of this law will be decreed at last within 3 months after coming into force of this law.

The above-mentioned law including 24 ART S and 19 Clauses was voted at date of 12 April 2015 In a public sentence of parliament and approved by the council of Guardians on 22 April 2015

Ali LARIJANI

*

Is there any synchronizing?

*)This all has happened in the last few days and the reasons why it happened regards the new legislation passed in parliament, we saw some days later these attacks increase such as confiscating and closing the building of “Reza Social Service” institute, affiliated with Gonabadi Dervishes.

*) This new law has passed Majles ( parliament ) on ( Amre be marouf va nahe az munkar), therefore Government and police have to support the basaji in their action on showing people what is good behaviour and what is bad behaviour.

* ) as the result of the recent week they have passed a new legislation in the parliament regarding the law on ( Amre be marouf va nahe az munkar) this means to encourage good behaviour and stop bad behaviour.

This means that the basijis have now are supported by the government and the police unconditionally on what ever decision the make to suppress, shout down, arrest, demolish. And since this new legislation we can see in few days after the basenjis have closed down Reza social services which a charity organisation.

As a result the people have come to streets in front of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare protesting to re-open “Reza Social Service and to interfere in this new legislation. ( on showing good behaviour and bad behavior)

Gonabadi Dervishes who were staging a sit-in at “Madad-kari-ye Reza” institute (“Reza Social Service” NGO) in protest against illegal closure of this aid centre by security forces, broke the seal on, Sunday, 3rd May.

the dervishes by writing a short letter, have announced that their act has been legal and wrote: ” We believe that Reza Aid Institute which have been giving services over twenty years in various fields of social charity services, such as, education, health, employment, helping the aged and etc, were sealed off not by law but by the complicity of the security and rogue forces, therefore, the closure is considered absolutely illegal and protest against illegal action (specially in a such space that there is no fair organization) would be exactly legal action.”

As the mentioned dervishes by signing a petitions addressed to the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, Mr . Ali Rabiee, had called for the reopening of there, stated that they will waiting for legal response by the Minister, otherwise, they have to continue their protests.
In this letter they have referred to illegal chasing His Holiness Haj Dr. Noor Ali Tabandeh, Majzoob Ali Shah”, the Gutb of Gonabadi Dervishes, who was going to Hosseiniyeh (the place of worship) of Gonabadi dervishes to take part in the religious celebration of Imam Ali’s birthday (12th of Ordibehesht 1394/ 2, May, 2015) by plainclothes forces. Three plainclothes forces in their cars along with a motorcycle chased after his car and began to shoot photos while their faces were masked. The drivers of the mentioned cars by driving hazardously and perilously around the vehicles of his escorts tried to create terror and horror deliberately.

In the end of this letter, Gonabadi Dervishes have written: ” We declare that if it shows continuing to cause problems, we will be more determined than ever to take action.”

The NGO is not a religious minority, it is a charity organisation to help the needy, but the agents of the regime can’t even stand a charity organisation. If we don’t stop them it can become very dangerous for all.

By mehriran