“The bulk capturing and apprehension of Dervishes, their consolers, and Majzoobān-i Noor Website’ staffs and intensifying pressures on them“

Over the past few years, Dervishes of Nematollahi Sufi Order had faced so many coercive conflicts such as detention, threat, destruction and plumbing their khaniqas and Hoseiniehes by Islamic Regime of Iran. The regime of Islamic Republic of Iran has tried to take control of this Sufi Order and prevent it from being and getting widespread inside the country because of reasons throughout these years.

There is a huge gap and far distance between government of law and law’s government in Iran, which leads to a kind of discrimination and prejudice in using (civil) citizenship rights. A specific policy governs the country which limits having any kind of freedom and human rights to be under their condition which is based on the interests of people in charge and interests of authority’s system in compliance with the sovereignty. Towards this attitude, every citizen who, intentionally or unintentionally, does not agree with the method of governing the country, would be placed in the opposition party and no individual does have the right of having independent thoughts and choosing the third option.

As other societies, the problem of Dervishes’ society with the regime is hidden in this equation. Every population thought like dervishes who choose third way by meaning that who do not have hostility or agreement with government planned and forced into campaign and will be forced to react and cope. Actors of this politic, put the religion in the monopoly of government cause all dissatisfaction in field of religious, politic, economic and society may change the attitude of people to the other religion’s readings which are not in guarantee of regime and the government loses public base-religious gradually. Therefore to compensate this problem and political deficiency, instead of improvement operations and reform of dissatisfaction atmosphere, including religious and civil, take their instruction on the politics of elimination and control people.

Unfortunately, misuse of religious for justification of politic and insist on it caused a hidden protest of people in a cultural reaction due to the regime’s behavior about their beliefs and attracted to the other than readings what is advertised and even some people change their religious and beliefs. Statistics tendency to other religions except Islam and even the anti-religious ritual such as Satanism confirms this fact. Dervishism and Sufism with regard to its deep roots in national and religious culture of the Iranians, in the current conditions and deadlock belief of people coming from the conflict between true religious believes with the outside world realities, is a safe and the best way out to survive in this dilemma.

The summary:

From 1384 (2006) to present, a minimum of around 300 cases of putting pressures on Gonabadi Dervishes had been happening such as: the pressures after destroying Shariat Hoseinieh of Qom and Seyed-o Shohada Hoseinieh of Broojerd, preventing from burial of the corpse in Mzare Soltani of Beidokht, and arrest, trial and revoking power of attorneys of Gonabadi Dervishes’ counselors, trial of the mass of Dervishes, phone summon of Dervishes by the security forces and so on … which through every one of these happenings a number of Dervishes were arrested and imprisoned.”

Through recent days Gonabadi Dervishes, consolers, Majzoobān-i Noor Website’s managers and staffs, and this Order’s journalists have been captured and arrested with utter disregarding of the legal and juridical standards that their litigations are investigated in Evin Prison’s 5th affiliate of Moqaddas judicatory.      

Considering the recent apprehension’s trend by the security forces it is supposed that the object of the coordinators of this current and illegal arrests including: apprehension of Dervishes consolers, Majzoobān-i Noor Website’ staffs, and this succession’s journalists is Dervishes news and media boycott, and stopping activities of Majzoobān-i Noor Website.

It is remarkable that Majzoobān-i Noor Website (Gonabadi Dervishes news agency) which was established and operated because of the country’s current persecutions of the people and especially Dervishes’ community, belongs to every one of Dervishes and the object of the management of this news agency is breaking Dervishes news boycott. And as through last 5 years from the establishment of this news agency its mission and activities have been keeping on without any imperfection and disorder, in the future god willing it will stably continue to respect Dervishes and other society layers and communities’ vested rights too. And blockheads and the foes of Tsavof and Erfan have to know that the more they arrest and put pressure on Dervishes, the more Dervishes be strongly firm and resistant on their stands.

Through years, when persecution had been licentious in the society, the underdogs’ voice from anywhere and in variant forms has been raised, but these days the pressure on Dervishes and religious minorities has been profound more than any other time. In recent days we have faced to serious conflicts with Dervishes under the religion’s title, sometime for the excuse of destroying Hoseiniehes (the locations of Dervishes’ pray and rites) and sometime for the excuse of religious rites.

This time in a tribal area, Dervishes have been persecuted again, they have been shot, their home and stores have been fired, their solicitors have been arrested, and at hospitals they were not safe and … until on Monday 14 Shahrivar 1390 (5 September 2011) at 1 a.m. they apprehended a number of our faith brothers at the personal home; the faith brothers who their crime is being religious, humanitarianism and following the truth.

So till when could be silent? Whether again we have to be silent and watch the numerous catastrophes? Until when could we be tight-lipped and quiet? To when should we bear up the persecutions on our brothers? We defend of our rightful rights. Whether we have other means except of the defense? Are we convicted even in defense?

When our enemy puts to the sword, we throw the shield because we couldn’t encounter our compatriot. We have learned to love, even our enemies and believe that the emotions of a population are abused against us, and how can we disunion from the friends who their guilt is defense from their beliefs? How could we bear these oppressions which happen based on the beliefs?

Do we have such a trouble in principles that we should be under these oppressions?  Is not it mentioned in Holey Quran that “The most precious one of you near God is the most virtuous one”? Or “There is no compulsion in the religion”? Then what is our guilt that we such are under the persecuting and mischief. 

What happened was that:

Friday, Shahrivar 04, 1390 (August 26, 2011)
 

A theologian named Shahbazi, delivering CD against Sūfism, announcing for a rally on Friday, Shahrivar 11, 1390 (September 2, 2011) and making stress and turmoil, seriously breached the peace of Kavar, one of the provinces of Fars state and its periphery villages, and encouraged and stimulated the plain people to come into conflict with Dervishes.

At the same time, the security forces wanted dervishes of Ghoochan not to hold Fetr Holiday prayers by summoning the Majlis holder of this city.

Monday, Shahrivar 07, 1390 (August 29, 2011)

Shahbazi, flocking in front of the municipality, declared that he would hold a rally against Gonabadi Dervishes on next Friday.

In response, and considering that the population of Kavar is generally tribal and insecure atmosphere and crisis creation were not advisable to anyone, Dervishes objected to these actions of antagonists and in order to preventing any clashes, declared their worriment referring to the legal authorities and sending letter to them.

This was a developed scenario for the previous one that happened in Mordad of last year (July- August 2010) in which some of Gonabadi Dervishes in Kavar province flocked in front of this division municipality objecting to distribution of the announcements and vicious propagandas against Tsavof and masters of Erfan.

Thursday, Shahrivar 10, 1390 (September 1, 2011)

Based on the published announcements in Kavar province, attributed groups to Basij had gathered to encounter to Gonabadi Dervishes and hold a rally on Friday, Shahrivar 11, 1390 (September 2, 2011).

Dervishes had asked legal authorities to protect Dervishes’ social rights and prevent radicals from clashing and making turmoil. But in spite of negotiations with governmental officers and speaking to Kavar population’s delegate in Consultative Assembly they couldn’t prevent these actions and in advanced had announced that encountering any violent and obscene action, they will vindicate their rights.

Friday, Shahrivar 11, 1390 (September 2, 2011) at twelve noon

Agitation which a young theologian (Akhound) created, propagandizing against Nematollahi Gonabadi Dervishes of Kavar province, was led to the armed conflict and shot to Dervishes. This conflict when had been changed to the armed one, that wayward forces started to use tear gas and gunshot, fired some stores which belonged to Dervishes and irrupted and inspected some of Dervishes’ houses. This action caused injuries to some of the both parties’ members.

And Dervishes’ repeated warnings and negotiations with judicial officers and even Kavar population’s delegate in Consultative Assembly, founding upon preventing clashes and bringing the people of this tribal area into conflict, just was a vain attempt and armed conflict was started and was on the increase.

So seemingly a young radical theologian organized this ghastly scenario and distributing announcements and CD, and using obscene mottos like ‘Down with the American Dervishes’ encouraged Basij forces to be involved in the conflict with Dervishes and provoked this turmoil.

This armed conflict took around four hours.

Friday, Shahrivar 11, 1390 (September 2, 2011) after noon

Following the violence and conflict with Nematollahi Gonabadi Dervishes, Kavar province went into a martial and security state and every movement was intensely under control and inspection. Security forces installed the closed-circuit television camera at the location of holding Majleses in Kavar province, and were watching Dervishes.

And all of Kavar entrances were closed by especial operations forces and they prevent entrance of Dervishes to Kavar.

Sunday, Shahrivar 13, 1390 (September 4, 2011)

Intensifying Kavar catastrophe and wounding of some Gonabadi Dervishes by military and security officers’ armed attack, Dervishes’ arresting procedure was spread. And plain-clothes and security forces apprehended eleven Gonabadi Dervishes in Kavar:

1.      Hojjat Vali Zadeh

2.      Kazem Hosein Zadeh

3.      Hojjat Keshavarz

4.      Rahim Pour Rostam

5.      Yadollah Parsian

6.      Ali Asghar Saeidi

7.      Nasrollah Heidari

8.      Saeid Karimian

9.      Masoud Ahmadi (war’s ulcerous)

10.  Amin Saffari

11.  Iman Karami

Sunday, Shahrivar 13, 1390 (September 04, 2011)

One teacher of the high schools of Kavar who was invited to the Governer’s office of Kavar to discuss the chaos and uprising were arrested. Mr. Gholamreza Shirzadi a well-known teacher and instructor at university, who was invited by the Governor of Kavar to interfere with the problems happened there to find a way to end it, imagining that presenting at the constabulary office; they could demand this town’s authorities to provide enough safety to this town Dervishes that they would be able to hold their religious rites in a peaceful atmosphere. Therefor they came to this province but unfortunately they were arrested by the inviters!

Also two Gonabadi advocates (Amir Eslami and Afshin Karampour) who had gone to the Governor’s office to discuss the situation were arrested there.

Plain clothes security officers attacked the houses of two Gonabadi Dervishes named Shahbaz Zare and Amanollah Cheraghi without having any warrant, but due to their absence at home, they arrested their fathers who go by the names Manoochehr Zare and Hasan Gholi Cheraghi. In their attack, the security officers took all personal documents and cultural possessions of these dervishes.

Sunday, Shahrivar 13, 1390 (September 04, 2011)

Kavar’s entrances were blocked by SWAT and the atmosphere was completely militarized.

4 Dervishes from Sarvestan who had gone to Kavar to pay a visit to their religious brothers were shot by SWAT and plain-clothes officers at a checkpoint in Kavar and one of them seriously injured.

The number of armed plain-clothes men and their movement was increasing at the streets of this small town and took control of Kavar.

All relatives and families of injured Dervishes in the incident Kavar arrested by security guards in Rajaei Hospital Shiraz and moved to an unknown location.

The number of illegally arrested Gonabadi Dervishes was over than 50 (fifty) one, that 25 (twenty five) of them has been transferred to Shiraz intelligence and security office (Agahi organization), and there was no information about the hold of the rests, and their families’ repetitive attempts and visiting legal references had been ineffectual.

Veterans Jalil Khlifeh and Msoud Ahmadi, were two of arrested Dervishes.

Monday, Shahrivar 14, 1390 (September 05, 2011)

Two other casualties were added to the number of today’s conflicts’ injured Dervishes. Amir Hosein Mohammadi, and Farshad Mir Hadi are two Dervishes from Sarvestan who are severely injured by the truncheon beats and electrical shockers, had been transferred to Sarvestan’s Hospital.

Military forces had handcuffed three injured Dervishes who were hospitalized at the Rajaee Hospital of Shiraz and arrested their visitors.

Vahid Banani that because of bullet hitting had been sent to the operation room of Namazi Hospital was revived.

There wasn’t any information about the hold and situation of Messrs Amir Eslami, Afshin Karampour, and Gholamreza Shirzadi, that yesterday at the invitation of the municipality for negotiation about happened crisis, had presented there, and were arrested by intelligence and security forces.

Monday, Shahrivar 14, 1390 (September 05, 2011)

At midnight administrators of Majzoobān-i Noor Website were arrested at the house of one of them in Tehran by the plain-cloths men forces and were taken to an unknown place.

The names of Administrators were as below:

1.     Hamid Reza Moradi Sarvestani

2.      Ali Karami

3.      Alireza Roushan

4.    Ali Astaraki

5.      Mehdi Hosseini

6.      Mehdi Osanloo

7.      Mehran Rahbari

8.      Mostafa Abdi

9.      Reza Entesari

10.  Nusrat Tabasi

11.  Ali Moazami

These apprehended Dervishes were transferred to Evin prison security cells and were forbidden to be visited.

Tuesday, Shahrivar 15, 1390 (September 06, 2011)

The physical state of Vahid Banani, one of Nematollahi Gonabadi Dervishes, who was shot by security officers on Sunday, was getting very serious and in all of our sorrow and regret after 3 days suffering, was Martyred.

After martyrizing of Vahid Banani, one of Nematollahi Sufi Order’s Dervishes, martial and security forces had threatened his family that in case of movement of other city’s Dervishes attending his funeral ceremonies, they will block the entrances to Sarvestan, encounter them and would bury his corpse at an unknown place.

And forty other Dervishes were arrested at the same time.

Wednesday, Shahrivar 16, 1390 (September 07, 2011)

Majzoobān-i Noor Website news agency was cyber-attacked at 9 p.m. by unknown forces which technical team endeavors returned it to its regular state and its news casting was going on. This planned action had been done to prevent this site from publishing correct news regarding Kavar province’s recent happenings, and plain-clothes security forces’ actions against Nematollahi Gonabadi Order’s Dervishes.

Omid Behroozi, the Nematollahi Gonabadi Dervishes’ lawyer was illegally arrested by the security forces and plainclothes in “Gole Sorkh” Square in Shiraz at 10 am , and his vehicle was also seized by the police. Omid Behroozi is a Gonabadi Dervish lawyer whose law license was canceled by the judiciary during the destroying of worship place of Qom.

Thursday, Shahrivar 17, 1390 (September 08, 2011)

Some security forces and plainclothes men raided to house of Mr. Saleh Moradi Sarvestani in Shiraz and arrested him without any judicial and legal warrants and then moved him to an unknown location.

It should be noted that Mr. Saleh Moradi Sarvestani is brother of Mr. Hamid Reza Moradi Sarvestani who was arrested by security forces on the last Monday.

An eyewitness saw Mr. Omid Behroozi in Shiraz Enqelāb court who was handcuffed with the bruised inferior muscles of the eyes, that reveals he had been subjected to the security officers’ torture.

Friday, Shahrivar 18, 1390 (September 09, 2011)

Jalil Khlifeh and Msoud Ahmadi weren’t well because of the troubles resulting from their injuries and negligence of the central concentration camp of Adel Abad prison of Shiraz’s officers and authorities.

Jalil Khlifeh and Msoud Ahmadi who are veteran and war stricken, because of undone medical care are in a bad state and their families are worried about their health. They claim that this litigation’s justice and authorities of Adel Abad prison are responsible for these imprisoned veterans’ health. It is said that the request of these imprisoned Dervishes for proper condition regarding their physical state has been neglected

Saturday, Shahrivar 19, 1390 (September 10, 2011)

Ibrahim Fazli one of the wounded Dervishes notwithstanding his critical physical state was transferred to an obscure place.

Fourteen Gonabadi Dervishes were released from Adel Abad prison of Shiraz on bail (bounding with the payslip).

Eleven numbers of Gonabadi Dervishes who are kept imprisoned in Adel Abad prison of Shiraz, statutory bails have been pronounced which these Dervishes have not accepted to pledge.

And also there isn’t any information about Messrs Hasan Veis Gholi, Khosrou Dorri, Hosein Asadi, and Majid Mottaghian.

Upon bail released Dervishes were:

1.      Abbas Haghverdi, Karaj

2.      Aghar Zarei, Karaj

3.      Ahmad Reza Heidari, Najaf Abad

4.      Akbar Ahmadi, Najaf Abad

5.      Esfandiar Mohammadi Zadeh, Yasooj

6.      Mahdi Azizi, Najaf Abad

7.      Mansour Parva, Yasooj

8.      Masoud Ahmadi, Karaj (war’s ulcerous)

9.      Mohammad Keshavarzi, Noor Abad

10.  Mohammad Mousavi, Najaf Abad

11.  Nemat Kazemi, Karaj

12.  Pezhman Kashefi, Abadeh

13.  Saeid Karimian, Karaj

14.  Salar Parhizkar, Shiraz

Imprisoned Dervishes were:

1.      Abbas Pour Rostam, Kazeroun (bail of 20,000,000 Tomans)

2.      Ali Asghar Sadi, Sarvestan (bail of 20,000,000 Tomans)

3.      Ali Reza Sadi, Sarvestan (bail of 5,000,000 Tomans)

4.      Davood Mehrad, Karaj (bail of 5,000,000 Tomans)

5.      Hekmatollah Naderi, Shahre Kord (bail of 5,000,000 Tomans)

6.      Hojjat Vali Zadeh, Sarvestan (bail of 20,000,000 Tomans)

7.      Iman Karami, Shiraz (bail of 5,000,000 Tomans)

8.      Kazem Hosein Zadeh, Noor Abad (bail of 20,000,000 Tomans)

9.      Moharram Ali (Jalil) Khalifeh, Karaj (bail of 5,000,000 Tomans)

10.  Mohammad Reza Rezaei, Islam Shahr, (bail of 5,000,000 Tomans)

11.  Yadollah Parsian, Noor Abad (bail of 20,000,000 Tomans)

Sunday, Shahrivar 20, 1390 (September 11, 2011)

Mr. Beirami and Mr. Akbari who are holders of the Gonabadi prayers ceremonies on the night before Mondays and the night before Fridays respectively, were arrested on 11 September by the security forces and plain-clothes men in Kavar without presenting any legal permission, and were moved to an unknown place.

Security forces and plain-clothes men raided to Farzad Darvish’s personal house, one of the Gonabadi Dervishes in Sarvestan city and arrested him without legal permission then transferred him to an unknown place.

The trend of these apprehensions has been followed and heightened with the arrest of Mr. Farshid Yadollahi Farsi, and Ms. Farzaneh Noori. It is considerable that these arrests like every other time have been aggressively happened by the security and plain-clothes forces without presence of any legal and juridical verdict, and with attachment of their personal things.

Farzaneh Noori, one of Dervishes and the mother of Majzoobān-i Noor Website’s manager was arrested. The security officers at one p.m. illegally entered to her house and after detection of the house and seizure of all theosophical (Erfani) books and Masters of Gonabadi Dervishes’ photographs, and her son’s computer, arrested her. It is remarkable that at the event of destroying of Qum’s Hoseinieh in Bahman, 1384 (February, 2006), Farzaneh Noori had been arrested with around 1500 of other Dervishes.

Farshid Yadollahi Farsi, Dervishes’ lawyer was arrested and taken to an unknown place in Shiraz. It should be noted that several other lawyers of Dervishes who their names are Amir Eslami, Afshin Karampour, Omid Behroozi In recent days have been detained by the security forces.

The names of the arrested Dervishes’ lawyers are as follows:

1.      Afshin Karampour

2.      Amir Eslami

3.      Farshid Yadollahi Farsi

4.      Omid Behroozi

It is considerable that the solicitors, who legally defended Dervishes’ rights, were under pressure and subjected to torture and the governmental forces moreover than intensification of the encounter and arresting Gonabadi Dervishes, now physically encountered Dervishes’ solicitors and intend to boycott their juridical activities.

Tuesday, Shahrivar 22, 1390 (September 13, 2011)
,
Mohammad Ali Sadi and Asghar Karimi from the wounded Dervishes of Kavar events, who were in a critical health condition, were transferred from Shiraz Rjaei Hospital to an unknown place by the security and plain-clothes forces. They along with Ibrahim Fazli and Vahid Banani, were directly shot and struck by the bullets of the police that on Sunday, Shahrivar 13, 1390 (September 04, 2011) and Vahid Banani because of his violent injuries was martyred on Tuesday, Shahrivar 15, 1390 (September 6, 2011).

Up to this date, the hold of Farzaneh Noori was unknown, and it was not obvious that which organization was responsible for her apprehension. But apparently intelligence organization of Shiraz, called doorplate No. 100 was its responsible.

Through these days:

Mr. Beirami is one of the war veterans and used to take certain drugs, is not in a good health condition and requires special care. He had already passed more than several days of detention not taking any special medicine and his health condition was getting worse.

It should be noted that in those days, the houses of Dervishes in Kavar town, illegally and without authorization have been inquired by plain-clothes security forces.

Tuesday, Shahrivar 22, 1390 (September 13, 2011)

At 8 p.m. Mohammad Ali Sadi and Asghar Karimi from the wounded Dervishes of Kavar happening who were in a critical health state, were transferred from Shiraz Rjaei Hospital to an unknown place by the security and plain-clothes forces.

Plain-cloths men and security forces attacked the house of some Dervishes without legal authorization to arrest and transfer them to the unknown locations.

Thursday, Shahrivar 24, 1390 (September 15, 2011)

After several days of follow-up by other lawyers of Dervishes and the families of imprisoned lawyers, it was founded that they were in ward 209 of Evin prison for interrogation, without allowance of getting lawyer or even havening right of visiting any one.

Saturday, Shahrivar 26, 1390 (September 17, 2011)

Behzad Nouri, one of the Gonabadi Dervishes was arrested by the onslaught of security forces and plain-clothes men without presenting any legal permission in Shiraz and was taken to an unknown place.

So the names of the arrested Dervishes in apprehension date order are as follows:

1.      Gholamreza Shirzadi, Kavar, (September 04, 2011)

2.      Saleh Moradi Sarvestani, Shiraz, (September 08, 2011)

3.      Farzaneh Noori, Shiraz , (September 11, 2011)

4.      Farzad Darvish, Sarvestan, (September 11, 2011)

5.      Behzad Nouri, Shiraz, (September 17, 2011)

_________________

Monday, Shahrivar 28, 1390 (September 19, 2011)

The Gonabadi Dervishes had decided to gather peacefully in front of the main door of Evin prison to protest illegal arrests and detention of their faith brothers and lawyer Dervishes but this gathering was not held because of the tight guarding of the security forces. The plain-clothes men and security forces officers were on all routes tangibly and non-tangibly to control the traffic for preventing Dervishes’ passing through and accumulation.

And despite of canceling of this peaceful gathering, police and the security forces arrested many dervishes there…

The names of the arrested dervishes in front of Evin prison are as follows:

1.      Ali Babaee

2.      Arash Shaltouki

3.      Behzad Sanatparast

4.      Davood Mehrad

5.      Ebrahim Mokhtar Khorouji

6.      Esmaeel Sanatparast

7.      Ghader Farmoudi

8.      Haadi Shahreza

9.      Majid Rashidi

10.  Nemat Kazeminia

11.  Reza Ghahramaani

12.  Saeed Rahmatpanaah

13.  Mahmoud Taghipour

14.  Manoucherhr Mazbouri

15.  Mehdi Mazbouri

16.  Mehdi Rahmati

17.  Mehran Najjar

18.  Mehrdad Faridnia

19.  Mohammad Sadeghi

20.  Nemat Kaazemi

21.  Ramin Oshkouh

22.  Taghi Saberi

23.  Teymour Homayouni