Declaration – 6 Rabi‘ al-Awwal 1431 (2010-02-21)

Message from Hazrat Haj Dr. Nour Ali Tabandeh, Majzoub Ali Shah
On the Anniversary of Dervish Day

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The hardships suffered by Sufi and Mystic brothers at the hands of their fellow Shi‘a are historically rare. They showed no shame even before Imam Husayn (AS) and desecrated sacred names, Qur’anic verses, and hadiths by destroying and trampling them in the Husayniyyas of Qom, Borujerd, and Isfahan. Many honest and hardworking employees were dismissed. The beatings were solely based on attachment to the path of “faqr”. The sacred Soltani shrine—beloved to the faithful—was insulted and its ownership violated. We were placed under a media blackout. Yet, as we have been striving toward the realization of a just government based on Alawi Islam, we did not consider it permissible to respond to this oppression with violence. Pretending that the authorities were unaware, we tried to peacefully present our grievances to members of parliament. A spontaneous day was chosen for this, but sadly, our voices were silenced before they could be heard.

We hope that from all these social upheavals, some personal and collective reflection has emerged—that no one should allow “the sigh of the oppressed” to sharpen its edge further. Thus, while once more recalling the injustices inflicted upon us, we recommend and sincerely hope that these wrongs be remedied and the material and spiritual losses compensated—which so far, they have not. The enemy’s hand continues its work, disturbing the peace and sowing division.

وَسَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنقَلَبٍ يَنقَلِبُونَ