Strong Condemnation by Scholars, Tribes, and Social and Cultural Activists of Incendiary Remarks by a Senior Official in Sistan and Baluchistan

Following the incendiary and insulting remarks made by the Supreme Leader’s representative in Sistan and Baluchistan province against Shaikh-ul-Islam Mawlana Abdolhamid, which hurt the feelings of people both inside and outside the province, administrators of religious seminaries, representatives of various tribes, intellectuals, and political, social, and cultural activists issued separate statements condemning the remarks of the Supreme Leader’s representative and expressing their unequivocal support for Shaikh-ul-Islam Mawlana Abdolhamid, his positions, and his wise and sincere vision.
The statements referred to Mawlana Abdolhamid’s “special social standing and popularity among both Shia and Sunni communities,” as well as his vital and influential role, particularly during sensitive periods and especially following the tragedy of “Zahedan’s Bloody Friday,” in “preserving unity and brotherhood” and “maintaining security in the region.”
The statements also highlighted Mawlana Abdolhamid’s calls on the people to “exercise patience and remain steadfast.”
The statements further described the accusations leveled against Mawlana Abdolhamid by the official as nothing more than “an excuse to evade responsibility,” asserting that such accusations “undermine security” and “serve the enemy’s agendas.”
They emphasized the need to prevent such actions and to take effective measures against those responsible.
A number of scholars and tribes in Sistan and Baluchistan have also expressed their strong dissatisfaction with the senior official’s recent remarks, as well as his record of making accusations and fueling divisions, and have called for his “immediate dismissal.”