Declaration – 27 Jumada al-Thani 1439 (2018-03-16)

Declaration from His Holiness Haj Dr. Noor Ali Tabandeh, Majzoub Ali Shah
On the Occasion of Nowruz 1397

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The arrival of the new year and the ancient celebration of Nowruz has provided an opportunity to extend my greetings for the new year to all “fuqara” and fellow countrymen. However, given the events of the past year—including the martyrdom of individuals from the law enforcement and Basij—there is no occasion for festivity. I offer my condolences to the families of all the martyrs. As in previous years, I would like to remind everyone of the following points:

1. The appointed representatives are the same five individuals introduced in the Declaration of March 8, 2018. They are authorized to make decisions on public and social matters of the order and require no further confirmation from me.
2. In order to prevent misuse in the name of the order, all “faqr” gatherings across the country are hereby suspended until further notice. The “fuqara” must adhere to this directive.
3. During the Nowruz holidays, “fuqara” must refrain from traveling to Bidokht and Tehran, and all visitors are to vacate the courtyard of the Shrine in accordance with its regulations.
4. The “fuqara” should be aware that, by God’s grace, I am in good health. However, the inappropriate behavior of some friends has created circumstances requiring increased vigilance and protection for the sake of order and safety.
5. Given that various groups—including Majzooban Noor and Rey Start—have falsely associated themselves with the “faqr” order and caused damage through misinformation, I once again declare, as I have before, my firm condemnation of these groups and disavowal of any ties with them. The Ni‘matullahi Sultan Ali Shahi order has no information platform other than the Mazar Soltani website. All other sites must cease activity and refrain from launching any new platforms.
6. I have never had any political representatives, either inside or outside the country, and I consider the mixing of “Mysticism” and “Dervishhood” with politics to be against the tradition of the elders of the order. I expect all authorized persons in the order to carry out prayer gatherings and “faqr” assemblies, both domestically and abroad, according to their permissions. They must not engage in political matters or participate in interviews with foreign satellite channels.