Expressing his deep regret over execution of at least 22 Baloch citizens in different cities of Iran last week, the most influential Iranian Sunni leader considered it contrary to Islam and against the international laws. He called for the stop of executions.
Shaikh Abdol-Hamid was talking to the people of Zahedan in the presence of tens of thousands of worshippers on May 5, 2023.
The Friday prayer leader of Sunnis in Zahedan said: “During the last week, many Baloch prisoners have been executed, mainly due to drug trafficking crimes. Who will supervise their children? Does the government have no responsibility for widows and orphans? Those who were hanged have parents and families. How painful is such a tragedy for their families. These executions create hostility among families.”
“The holy Prophet, peace be upon him, has never killed captives. The statistics of the death penalties were less than the number of fingers at the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, mainly for retaliation/Qisas and other issues. The ongoing executions in our country have no examples in the era of the beloved Prophet Mohammad and the Caliph Ali, may Allah be pleased with him. In the battles of Jamal and Siffin, the Caliph Ali did not even kill a single captive. After someone assassinated the Caliph Ali, he did not allow killing the assassin while there was less hope for his life. After the martyrdom of Sayyidana Ali, his heirs retaliated by killing the assassin,” said the Iranian top Sunni cleric in the biggest Friday gathering of Zahedan.
Have you created jobs for the people of Sistan-Balochistan that now you are executing them?!
Addressing the officials, he continued: “Have you created jobs for the people of the province? We live in Balochistan, which has been deprived of everything. Neither the governments have built a factory in the province, nor did they activate mines and potentials of the sea and borders. People are unemployed. Drug trafficking is dangerous and harmful, but did you create jobs for people? Do you know that many people chose this job because of hunger? Some have been killed for just $200.”
“Sistan-Balochistan has the youngest population in Iran; these young people are unemployed and deprived of proper education. Unfortunately, your art is in execution. This is not an art. The rulings of the execution and many of the country’s criminal laws are against the Prophet’s teachings and not match with the international laws. There are clauses in the constitution that paralyzed the country and should be amended. All over the world, they adopt laws in favor of people and country. All laws that are passed in the world are not divine laws. Those who have been above us have been wrong, but they have corrected their mistakes,” said the president of Darululoom Zahedan.
How a state which kills its nation can be trustable?
Shaikh Abdol-Hamid further said: “The Companions suggested the holy Prophet, peace be upon him, to kill the hypocrites because they were spying on the Muslims, sharing their secrets with the enemies, and incited the enemies against the Muslims. The Prophet refused; while the hypocrites tried to assassinate him several times and bewitched him; this is forgiveness and pity. He said that if I kill them, people will say that Muhammad kills his own people,” said Shaikh Abdol-Hamid.
“How can we trust in someone who kills his own nation?” he questioned.
The eminent Baloch leader said: “As a benefactor, I would like to say: stop the executions. Execution is a loss for the country and people of Iran. Why do the people of the world say that Iran has the highest number of executions? Which government kills its own people? Do not imprison protestors who criticize and do not carry weapons; let them talk and criticize. Do not kill them.”
The biggest injustice has been done to the country and its leadership by those who stopped “criticism”/ No one in the world should be a red line
Shaikh Abdol-Hamid continued his Friday speech of Zahedan, saying: “Those who prevented people from criticism have committed the greatest injustice to the country and to the leadership. No one is higher than the holy Prophet, peace be upon him in status; but he was also criticized. The Prophet, peace be upon him, owed a debt to a Jew; he pulled the Prophet’s robe so that its mark appeared on his neck. When the companions wanted to punish him, the Prophet stopped them, and said: he is the owner of a right and the owner of the right can protest. Then the holy Prophet ordered that he should be given more than what he asked for.”
“No one should be a red line. Criticism is useful and paves the way. If you do not allow anyone to criticize me, you have done the greatest injustice to me. As long as you do not criticize me, I cannot fix my fault. You did not let the elites talk with the elders of the country. Do not set a red line for anyone. Everyone is human, and to err is human. The supreme leader never said that he is innocent. Everyone makes mistake. I have also said many times that whenever I make a mistake, please correct me; I will be happy. This way comes to a deadlock. The only way to get rid is to gain the satisfaction of the majority of the nation,” said Mawlana Abdol-Hamid.
He addressed the Iranian top officials: “A few years ago, I suggested that you set up a “free forum” and allow people to come and speak if they criticize the judicial system, parliament, and the president. I did not say that they should talk about the leadership, but I believe that it is in the interest of the leader and in the interest of all the officials that people should speak freely about anyone they want to criticize. But they did not pay attention to this suggestion.”
Imprisoning and killing cannot solve your problems; the only solution is to talk and listen to critics and opponents
“A specific group of people must not surround around religious and political leaders. There is also such a problem in some countries. The officials should have access to all spectrums and let everyone speak. I am so confident in my view that imprisoning and killing cannot solve problems, rather sit with the critics and listen to the opponents; it can solve problems,” the Friday Imam of Zahedan said.
He underlined: “Free all prisoners, including women, politicians, academics and scholars and sit with them and listen to them. I am a well-wisher to both the government and the nation. An Iranian should not kill another Iranian, whether he is a nation or a government official. These are the people of Iran and you are the children of this nation. You cannot run away and live somewhere else, you have to be with these people.”
“I would like to say clearly that it is impossible to run and build the country in this way. Imprisoning is not the solution. I regret when I see educated people are thrown in jail. Some activists have been imprisoned because they criticized the leadership in letters. Do not imprison them, but take them to the leadership to have their say with him,” the eminent Iranian Sunni scholar said.
Sanctions were not in the interest of the nation but for the benefit of some individuals
During his Friday sermons in Zahedan, Shaikh Abdol-Hamid said: “The country has been facing a serious challenge and a complete impasse. The employees of all government bodies, including personnel of the armed forces are hungry. Today, people of all strata are protesting that the value of money has fallen. What people can do when the money has lost its value? When one dollar has reached more than fifty thousand tomans and our money has no value, what can we do with this money? Why has the value of the national currency fallen? The value of money must return. You had so many opportunities, but you could not solve the problem of the sanctions. You did not listen to the people.”
“Some said that these sanctions are a blessing and the country will develop by sanctions. Why it could not happen? These sanctions were for the benefit of some children of the officials who sold the oil in the black market. The sanctions did not benefit the nation, and national interests were affected. You failed to fight and manage corruption and embezzlement properly. Now the treasure is empty and there are rumors that the officials want to sell many things,” said the prominent Sunni leader of Iranian Balochistan.
The country does not have economic stability because it does not have political stability
Imam of the Grand Makki Mosque further said: “The Iranian nation is one of the best nations and Iran is one of the richest countries in the world. The biggest capital of this country is the elites and talented people. Unfortunately, many elites left the country. I ask them to return to Iran. The value of the national currency should return, and this is easy if we choose the right way. Do not increase the salaries of workers and pensioners, but restore the value of Iran’s currency in such a way that you give them a salary of one million tomans and this salary is equal to one thousand dollars.”
“The way to bring the elites back to the country is to bring back the value and credibility of the national currency, and this is also the way to reform the economy. Today, the economy is not stable, because our politics is not stable. When there is no political stability, there will be no stability in the country and everything will be shaky,” Shaikh Abdol-Hamid said in his last points.
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