The Conditions of the Ahlus Sunnah After the War

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The Conditions of the Ahlus Sunnah After the War

 

This is a study on the conditions of the Sunnis in Iran, prepared by one of the brothers—a caller to Allah—after the cessation of the Iran-Iraq war and the defeat suffered by the Khomeini forces. The author speaks about what is happening to the Sunnis in all regions of Iran, and not just in a specific area; it is comprehensive for this reason.

This study was produced after the author travelled through various regions, observed events, and engaged in dialogue with both Sunnis and Shia regarding their interpretation of what is happening. This is what distinguishes this treatise from previous ones. Its author has succeeded in exposing the modern schemes and plans of the Shia, and his style is characterised by depth and clarity.

 

Introduction

All praise is to Allah. Salutations, blessings, and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and Companions.

This is a brief overview of the conditions of the Ahlus Sunnah wa al Jama’ah in Iran under the Khomeini government, which was established for no other purpose than to spread the beliefs of the Shia and export their Revolution to all other countries of the Islamic world.

This protracted war it waged with Iraq was undertaken for no other reason than to realise their dreams and achieve their aspirations of establishing a superior Shia state that would control the entire Islamic world as soon as possible through warfare.

But Almighty Allah thwarted them and their ambitions after their successive defeats in their offensive against Iraq. They knew with absolute certainty after these losses—especially after the recovery of the Al Faw peninsula—that they would not be able to control Iraq or overthrow its ruling regime, particularly after the Iraqis displayed immense bravery in their confrontation of the Iranians. Therefore, they submitted to the peace settlement requested by the United Nations.

Yet, after this signed peace settlement between the two countries, what are the intentions of the Iranian government now that they are spending the vast sums of money that were being drained by the battle? And since they have learned—after testing their military capabilities against Iraq—that they cannot control the Islamic world by military means, the rulers of Iran have now turned to spreading their beliefs and promoting their sect in a new guise, which they call da’wah and spreading Islam. They are allocating budgets for this purpose in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Muslim countries in general.

However, particularly the Sunnis in Iran, and as some of their scholars in Iran say, the reason for their defeat or inability to conquer Iraq and eliminate its regime was that they did not carry out internal reform within Iran. They were obliged to reform this “stray faction” as they call them, meaning the Ahlus Sunnah wa al Jama’ah, and then proceed to spread their beliefs throughout the world. Shortly after the end of the battle, a Shia proselytisation and guidance organisation was established in the regions of the Ahlus Sunnah wa al Jama’ah in Iran, aimed at spreading their beliefs in these areas through preachers and guides, and by providing some material supplies when needed. In their carefully studied and programmed plan to eliminate the beliefs of the Ahlus Sunnah in Iran, they have adopted numerous methods and means. For this purpose, they have prepared long-term, meticulously detailed programs—in their view—so that the new generation of Sunnis will be raised upon their beliefs and live within their sphere of influence. They have mobilised all their energies and resources to achieve this.

Although some of them believe that the physical extermination of the Sunnis is necessary to bring them closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala, their leadership now sees that this should not be done outright due to what they learned from their war with Iraq, which overturned some of their perceptions. Additionally, their engagement in bloody conflicts with the Sunnis in Iran has taught them a lesson, especially since they are the ones calling for rapprochement and unity at international assemblies and conferences—all to win public opinion and the favour of the Muslim masses.

During the time I spent in Iran, I became aware of some of their conspiracies against Muslims, which involved the destruction of their beliefs and the erosion of their Islamic identity. They have devoted significant attention to the youth and the rising generation, aiming to impose the ideas they instil in them and strip them of their beliefs and religion. To this end, they began by dismissing Sunni Islamic education teachers from their schools and appointing Shia instructors in their place across all Sunni regions.

 

Islamic education curriculum

The Islamic education curriculum was initially independent for the Ahlus Sunnah wa al Jama’ah, authored by some of their well-known and reputable scholars. However, the government worked to unify the curriculum so that everyone would study a single syllabus teaching Shia beliefs. When they observed the students’ lack of engagement with this unified curriculum, they ostensibly granted the Ahlus Sunnah their own special textbook titled Wathiqat Ahlus Sunnah (Document for the Sunnis). It was written by some Shia authors, but the cover of the book states, “Reviewed by Mawlawi Muhammad Ishaq Madani, Advisor to the Minister of Education for Eastern Affairs of the Ahlus Sunnah wa al Jama’ah.”

The book was written and compiled in a manner intended to alienate the Sunnis from their own school of thought and contains an indirect call to Shi’ism. Most of the books, across different educational levels, do not mention anything except the four Sunni Imams, comparing these Imams to the Twelve Imams of the Shia from the Ahlul Bayt of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Furthermore, the general nature of Iran, and the Sunni regions in particular, consists of scattered communities located along the banks of some rivers, springs, or river valleys. Every village contains a primary school, even if the village’s population does not exceed forty. Some larger villages contain preparatory schools, and these schools are where students who graduate from the primary schools in neighbouring villages study. Then the city contains secondary schools while some major cities have universities. The secondary school in a city is attended by students from hundreds of villages subordinate to that city according to the political administrative division of cities and villages. In one city I learned about, the number of general secondary school students was fourteen thousand, as one of the teachers, who also worked with the school’s records, informed me. The number of students from the city itself is approximately one thousand, and the rest came from the villages subordinate to this city. Therefore, the current government established a special dormitory for these students under the supervision of their scholars, and these individuals are responsible for delivering organised lectures and lessons to the students.

 

Their practical policy with teachers and students

They have also sought to co-opt some Sunni scholars—whether by offering them certain positions, building houses for them, or providing them with a monthly salary (and how numerous they are)—to call the Sunnis (especially these students) to Shia ideologies. During my visit to this city, there was a lecture by one of the Sunni Muslim scholars for these students titled, “And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided.” In it, he claimed that the difference between Sunnis and Shia is superficial, and that if we believe what they say is true—and that the concept of Wilayah al Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) is true and we must follow it—then the only difference between us and our Shia brothers is in the act of folding or lowering the hands during prayer, a difference that has also occurred among the Sunnis themselves, as in the opinion of the Maliki school. Then, surprisingly, I learned that this scholar travelled to a Gulf state to collect donations.

They did not leave the Muslims with any unique Islamic character. Even the names of schools that bore an Islamic character have been changed to other names. For example, the Abu Bakr al Siddiq High School has now become the Ayatollah Beheshti School, and the ‘Umar ibn al Khattab High School has now become the Qambar School.

As for the schools and Masjids that Muslims established in Sunni regions after the Revolution, they have renamed them according to the names they prefer, such as Ayatollah Taliqani, Khomeini, Raja’i, etc. At times, they name them after some of the Companions radiya Llahu ‘anhum. However, these are only Abu Dharr al Ghifari, Salman al Farisi, al Miqdad, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, al Hasan, and al Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhum. In fact, they change the names of many cities and villages to purely Shia names. Furthermore, the slogans of their scholars, which are inflammatory and extreme, are written on nearly every Sunni school wall, on the walls of their homes and shops, and even on modern government documents like birth certificates, land deeds, official papers, drivers licenses, phone books, etc.

Some of the well-known sayings of Imam Khomeini and calls to adhere to Wilayat al Faqih are written alongside the names of the Imams. These are also written on the covers of the prescribed textbooks for all grade levels.

I once asked one of the Sunni students studying in the Iranian government schools, “Name a prophet from among the prophets for me.” He said to me, “‘Ali.” I said to him, “No, ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu is not a prophet.” He began listing the names of the Imams for me, one after another, and I kept answering him in the negative. Thus, due to repeatedly hearing these names, it has become established in people’s minds that they are prophets.

It should be noted that the Shia have organised trips during the summer vacation for a selection of students from the Ahlus Sunnah wa al Jama’ah to the Mazandaran region or to other places under the supervision of Shia scholars. Throughout this period, they instruct and teach them, and they return, bringing back with them some books and gifts.

Furthermore, they have established Shia religious schools in Sunni regions that do not teach modern sciences, aimed at educating the children of Sunni Muslims in these schools. They also provide certain incentives that attract students, such as encouraging prizes. Among these prizes are exemption from military service and guaranteed employment after their studies.

In contrast, the Ahlus Sunnah wa al Jama’ah have their own private Islamic schools, established since the era of the Shah, which teach Sunni beliefs according to the religious curricula used in Islamic countries. The Khomeini government has placed numerous obstacles to limit the work and activity of these schools. Among these obstacles is interference in the curriculum, imposing conditions for student admission to the Islamic schools, and completely closing some schools, as happened to one of the Islamic schools in a Sunni area (Bahu), where the government issued orders to demolish the school. Bulldozers operated at night and demolished the school, along with all the books and Qur’ans inside. In the morning, some of the village’s youth held demonstrations, but their protests were quickly suppressed.

Likewise, students of Sunni Islamic schools were not exempt from military service, which lasts for two years. However, just a month ago, the government announced that it would exempt all students of Sunni Islamic schools from military service on the condition that they pass examinations set by the government for them. They have assigned certain books for the students to study, and now, I don’t know what their new ambitions could be.

Likewise, an order was issued prohibiting the construction of new schools for the Ahlus Sunnah wa al Jama’ah in Sunni cities, while allowing the existing Islamic schools to continue operating. Additionally, the Komiteh^[1] consistently conducts visits to Sunni Islamic schools to monitor the state of education and the approved curriculum. They attempt to introduce some of their books into the curricula of the Sunni Islamic schools, as the principal of one Islamic school disclosed to me when I asked him about the reason for the Komiteh’s visit. One of those present suggested to the principal, “If we must accept their books, then accept them and store them in the warehouses without teaching them.” The Sheikh replied with a smile, “They will not be satisfied with this. If we open the door for them, they will come to us repeatedly under the pretext of examining the students on their prescribed books. But, Allah willing, I will extricate myself from this predicament through another solution—perhaps Almighty Allah will grant me success in that.”

Likewise, they frequently threaten to visit the large schools and demand from them certain verdicts that align with their concepts to be delivered by the teachers and school principals. If the rulings suit their inclinations, they publicise them among the people in the name of Sunni scholars. Furthermore, they sometimes fabricate accusations, then come to the Islamic schools and say, “We have been informed that you work on behalf of a foreign country and receive financial support from them,” or “We have been informed that you adhere to the Wahhabi doctrine.”^[2] This is to keep them in a state of constant psychological unrest, so that Sunni scholars will close their school’s doors themselves out of fear of these accusations.

Likewise, the Basidar^[3] and the Sazandegi^[4] organise trips to villages. During these trips, they gather the youth of these villages in a specific location, bring them video and television equipment with an electricity generator, show them some entertaining films, deliver a religious lecture to them, and then distribute biscuits and sweets to those present. In this manner, they move from village to village according to a schedule, with a specific day designated for each village. The village youth eagerly await this day to watch these series.

Likewise, they establish public reading offices containing Shia books and publications, though these have little influence on the Ahlus Sunnah wa al Jama’ah since most Sunnis are not proficient in reading and writing. In these offices, they also distribute some slogans free of charge, which are then pasted on walls and cars. Examples include, “O Mahdi, help me”; “O Qa’im of the Household of the Prophet”; the names of the Imams; certain supplications for Khomeini; some sayings of Khomeini; the names and images of the Imams from ‘Ali to al Hasan al ‘Askari; pictures of Khomeini and others; and some ahadith extracted from Sunni books.^[5]

 

Voluntary Marriage between Sunni men and Shia women

The government has adopted other means to eliminate the Ahlus Sunnah wa al Jama’ah in Iran. Among them is promoting Sunni men to marry Shia women. These women are deployed by the government after giving them intensive lessons, convincing them that they are missionaries for conversion to Shi’ism, and tasking them with calling their husbands, household members, and offspring to convert to Shi’ism. This is done while displaying good morals and kind treatment towards the husband, and by adapting to the husband’s nature.

The government announces in one of the Sunni Islamic cities, for example, the arrival of one hundred women. Those who wish to marry should hurry before the opportunity is lost. Thus, the youth rush into marriage driven by lust and the desire to satisfy their passion with these fair and beautiful women. Through this marriage, the husbands and their families are often influenced and become inclined toward their wives’ beliefs. As for the offspring of these Shia women, they will inevitably become Shia, with rare exceptions. The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:

 

ما من مولود إلا يولد على الفطرة فأبواه يهودانه أو ينصرانه أو يمجسانه

No child is born but that he is upon natural instinct. His parents make him a Jew, Christian, or Magian.^[6]

 

It should be noted that the husbands are often influenced by these wives and allow them to name their children. During my travel from one city to another in Iran, a young man was sitting in front of me with a child, and next to him was his wife. I heard him call his son, “Fayruz,” so I asked him about the reason for naming his son this. He said to me, “My wife asked me to let her name our children, so I granted her request.”

A sheikh from among the Sunni scholars informed me that in their village, a Sunni man married a Shia woman. However, she displayed affection towards the Sunnis and presented herself as non-sectarian because this village was conservative and influenced by this sheikh. Then the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a child. The sheikh instructed the man to name his son ‘Umar.

The man went to the woman, who was ill due to the pains of childbirth, and said to her, “I wish to name our son.”

The woman replied politely, “You are the father, and the decision is yours.”

He said, “I have named him ‘Umar.”

The husband says, “What I saw next astounded me.”

The woman rose from the bed with astonishing speed and screamed in a loud voice, “You found no name other than ‘Umar?”

How strange! They name their children Fayruz (may Allah curse him), the killer of ‘Umar, but they do not name them after ‘Umar ibn al Khattab radiya Llahu ‘anhu. This story reminded me of what I witnessed while performing the rituals of Hajj. In Madinah, a group of Shia wanted to enter the Prophet’s Masjid through the Gate of ‘Umar ibn al Khattab radiya Llahu ‘anhu. I heard a man calling to them from a distance in a loud voice, “Do not enter! Do not enter!” They turned to him and I turned with them. He said to them, “This is the Gate of ‘Umar.” So, the group changed their path to another gate. How truthful was the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam when he said (about ‘Umar):

 

والذي نفسي بيده ما لقيك الشيطان قط سالكا فجا إلا سلك فجا غير فجك

By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, whenever you take a path, Shaitan will seek a path other than yours.^[7]

 

I see them as nothing but devils.

 

Altering the features of Sunni regions

They have established settlements in Sunni areas and built government housing in Sunni cities, distributing them to Shia residents from distant parts of the country. They have brought Shia labour forces into Sunni regions to increase the Shia population. Anyone who visits Sunni areas in Iran will notice their intense activity in constructing settlements, especially in Kurdistan, Turkmenistan, and Balochistan. For instance, fifteen years ago, the city of Zahedan had not a single Shia resident—all its inhabitants were Sunnis from tribes such as Shahuza’i, Shah Bik, and Sarhadi, along with some Sunni families who had migrated from Mashhad and Torbat. At that time, the Shia had only one small mosque near the Gendarmerie military base,^[8] as the people of Zahedan informed me. Now, as of two years ago, half of the winners in the city council elections of Zahedan were Sunnis and half were Shia. In the elections this current year, only Shia candidates won, due to the government’s encouragement of migration to these regions. Despite the electoral fraud that occurs in favour of the Shia, it has not yet reached the point—in my observation—where the Sunnis cannot win even a single district, especially considering that Zahedan is one of the most important centres for the Ahlus Sunnah in Iran.

 

How do they treat Sunni Afghan migrants?

While they encourage the Shia to reside in Sunni areas, they simultaneously prevent Sunnis coming from outside Iran—especially Afghan migrants, who are neighbours and natural allies to the Sunnis in Iran—from settling and taking up residence in Sunni regions. Initially, the Sunnis warmly welcomed their Afghan brothers when they fled the Russians, seeing it as an obligation to support and stand with them, especially since they are united by the same monotheistic faith, shared creed, and common customs and traditions. Sometimes, they even share a common local language. The government, aware of the danger posed to the Ahlus Sunnah wa al Jama’ah by the settlement of migrants in Sunni areas, began to burden the Sunnis so that they would become averse to the Afghan migrants, even though the migrants are Sunnis. These are truly malicious plans targeting the general Sunni population. The government broadcasted and published numerous criminal incidents attributed to the Shia, claiming that the perpetrators of these crimes were Afghans who had come to the country.

One example of this is that the people of a certain village speak of an Afghan who arrived in one of the neighbouring areas and stayed with a Sunni family. They honoured him and accommodated him in the best part of the house. However, he seized the opportunity when the head of the household went to work, attacked the woman, cut off her ears for the earrings, severed her fingers for the rings and bracelets, then did what he did, slit open the woman’s stomach, and fled. On the road, Khomeini’s guards managed to arrest him after they saw blood dripping from his bag. They opened the bag and found inside a woman’s ears and some gold. The exact same story is heard when you travel seven hundred kilometres away to another Sunni city or village, because the source of these rumours is one and the same. Also, to further stir aversion towards them, they claim and spread among people that the Afghan migrants are afflicted with serious contagious diseases. This was taken to the extreme where they burned a Sunni Afghan alive in one of the Sunni Iranian cities to show people that they carried serious infectious diseases, and that by burning them, the ‘microbes’ and germs they carried would die—germs that could only be eliminated by burning them.

Due to the abundance of such propaganda, the Sunnis have become intensely averse to the Sunni Afghans. They avoid them when they see them in their villages or cities or attempt to expel them from their lands. In contrast, we find that the Shia Afghans from the Hazarah tribe thrive in Iran and move freely in Shia cities without any restrictions. In fact, the Shia Afghans frequent most of the mut’ah (temporary marriage) venues in Iranian cities, as I was informed by some who have witnessed these places.

They were not content with making the Sunnis averse to the Afghans; they also made the Afghans averse to the Sunnis, spreading false matters among them that we refrain from mentioning. Approximately a month ago, the Iranian army raided the site of Afghan migrants in one of the Sunni cities at night and forcibly displaced them from this town. I personally inspected their homes after they were evicted and found evidence of demolished walls and broken doors. Help is sought from Allah, the Almighty.

It should be noted that the majority of Sunnis in Iran reside in border areas near Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Russia. They do not find it difficult to leave Iran, but entering is extremely challenging. Members of border tribes take rugged paths to reach their homes and villages because the government is keen on encouraging Sunnis to emigrate and leave Iran.

 

Implementation of the “Blocking and Tackling” Policy

Among the current government’s plans to tighten its control and consolidate its authority over the Sunni regions in Iran is what I will summarise below regarding one of the largest Sunni regions in Iran. The government found that there were three classes with strong influence among the people: the local rulers, the educated youth, and the scholars. It therefore set about raising the issue of the oppression of the rulers and their usurpation of the rights of the people and the locals, claiming that they had amassed vast fortunes during the Shah’s era. Through this propaganda, they incited the people against the rulers to such an extent that they revolted against their former rulers and seized their properties. Most of the rulers managed to flee to neighbouring countries or other nations. Then, after a short period, the government declared most of the former rulers’ properties as state possessions.

Then they turned the Sunni scholars against the educated class and incited the people alongside them, claiming that they were communists. The government began distributing pamphlets bearing these individuals’ names, containing explicit insults against religion and Islam, and against the scholars of the region. Then the Iranian army started writing on the walls in Sunni cities, “Death to Islam; Long Live Communism,” in the name of these youth—until the people and the Sunni scholars rose against these youth. The state took the opportunity to crack down on some of them, carrying out death sentences against them. Some were even executed in the cities by being run over by cars, as was the case when they ran over the engineer Amshikani. Through this propaganda, the government pursued and expelled every Sunni holding a bachelor’s degree, as well as many holders of general secondary certificates.

They then isolated the scholars. After the incidents they instigated during the Hajj season, the government launched a broad campaign against Wahhabism as part of its plan to strike the Sunni scholars. It then demanded that the Sunni scholars issue a verdict on Wahhabism. Those present at the meeting, fearing the government’s wrath, declared it an innovated sect and that the government had the right to discipline those who adopted this doctrine. Some, out of ignorance, also condemned Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul Wahhab and his call for reformation.

 

Their targeting of Sunni scholars

How many respectable scholars has the government eliminated under the pretext that they are Wahhabis? How many schools have they closed down under the pretext that their founders are Wahhabis? They demolished one of the schools with bulldozers at night, claiming that its founder was a Wahhabi.

Indeed, matters reached the point where they arrested Mawlawi Nadhir Ahmed, a former member of the Iranian Consultative Assembly and one of the righteous scholars, because he spoke about the merits of the Sahabah radiya Llahu ‘anhum and the ruling on insulting or cursing them. The Sheikh appeared on television after his arrest for seven minutes, stating that he had worked as an agent for President Saddam Hussein and that he belonged to Iraqi intelligence. They were not satisfied with this. Finally, the Iranian court sentenced him to stoning on charges of adultery as well; and we seek refuge in Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala. This is how they treat the scholars of the Muslims.

Indeed, the matter escalated even further to the point that they eliminated one of the Sunni scholars in a Sunni region because he spoke in his Friday sermon about Wilayat al Faqih, stating, “It is not permissible for us to believe in the infallibility of any human after our Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, whoever it may be.” The Sheikh had not been in prison for even a week when he publicly announced his repentance on television and affirmed the validity of Wilayat al Faqih to the masses. Later, when one of the senior scholars asked him about the reason for his retraction (though I did not hear what he said), he replied, “By Allah, I did not abandon my belief, but I was forced to do so when they brought ten young men from Khomeini’s guards into my cell, along with someone dressed in black clerical garb who incited them to commit sodomy against me unless I retracted my stance before the masses. He told these young men, ‘You will be rewarded by Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala for this act, and you require no ritual cleansing after sodomy.’^[9] This is how the enemies of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala behave.”

It should be noted that I met one of the honest scholars (may Allah reward him greatly and grant him recompense) who spoke in some recordings about the beliefs of the Ahlus Sunnah wa al Jama’ah on many matters, saying, “This is what we believe and what we uphold before Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala on the Day of Judgment. This is our stance and our view. If we ever contradict this or say otherwise, it may be out of coercion or caution, so do not accept from us anything except what you have heard from us in these recordings.”

 

Islamic Unity Week

Among their schemes to convert the Ahlus Sunnah wa al Jama’ah to Shi’ism is the establishment of an annual event called Unity Week, held from the 12th to the 17th of Rabi’ al Awwal. During this period, Sunni and Shia scholars gather in one place and exchange speeches and sermons. Sunni scholars speak about unity and the ruling on division, while Shia scholars speak about their beliefs and emphasise the obligation to follow Khomeini and affirm Wilayat al Faqih. Then they all chant together: “Jah-e Shia, jah-e Sunnat, rahbar faqat Khomeini.”^[10]

It should be noted that they all pray behind Shia imams in full view of both Sunnis and Shia. During one of the Unity Week celebrations in a Sunni region, where Sunnis comprised more than ninety percent of those present, the scholars requested that one of the Sunni scholars lead the prayer. The Shia refused this request and accused them of opposing the Unity Week and, by extension, the Islamic government.

Likewise, the government attempts to incite Sunni tribal rivalries to instigate wars among them and strives to ignite and fuel these conflicts. For example, when a member of a tribe goes to the government to complain about another tribe or a person—claiming that they killed his brother or son—the government responds, “I give you the weapon; take revenge yourself.” Thus, many tribes are deceived by encouragement from the government.

 

The Basij Force

Furthermore, the government has now formed a new army called the Basij across all regions of Iran. In Sunni areas, it is composed of Sunnis themselves, without providing them salaries. They tell them, “Secure your own salaries,” after giving them weapons like machine guns. To obtain their salaries, they set up checkpoints on roads, stop cars and pedestrians, and demand financial fines from car owners, fabricating charges and violations against them. Because of this Basij, how many killings have occurred? In fact, the Basij members now fight among themselves in full view of the government. At one petrol station, a Basij member from one village confronted a Basij member from another village. A dispute ensued between them, and the dispute didn’t end until 12 were dead at the petrol station.

After this incident, some people of knowledge and wisdom worked to clarify the matter to the people and expose the government’s intention behind establishing the Basij in Sunni regions. Consequently, many of those working in the Basij resigned from their positions and returned the weapons to the government.

Furthermore, the government has placed incentives for those who embrace Shi’ism and openly display it—particularly targeting Sunni scholars—by providing them with salaries and granting them certain privileges. Alas, how many men have sold their faith for a trifling worldly gain! In one tribe, approximately half of its men have converted to Shi’ism. In fact, there is a region where over 80% of its population has embraced Shi’ism. Subsequently, the government granted them agricultural lands along with water sources and enclosed these lands with fences. Similarly, one Sunni scholar who served as an imam of a Sunni Masjid received a monthly salary of five hundred tomans from the villagers, as is the case for all imams of Sunni Masjids. Teachers also receive their salaries from the local residents. There is not a single imam or teacher who receives a salary from the Iranian government or from the Ministry of Endowments, which was established for this purpose—except for those who collaborate with the government. Now, were this same man to serve as an imam of a Shia mosque in one of the Sunni regions, he would receive a monthly salary from the Ministry of Endowments worth thirty thousand tomans, in addition to the gifts and presents he collects.

 

Their declaration of Sunnis as infidels

Moreover, the Komiteh announced in their official newspaper—during the Iran-Iraq war and while they were preoccupied with the battle—that they had managed to bring ten Sunnis into Islam out of the latter’s own conviction, without coercion or incentive. The newspaper commented on this news, stating that this was among the achievements the Komiteh had accomplished in that region. After this news was published, some Sunni scholars protested against it. The government, being occupied with the war at that time, downplayed the matter and declared that this news was merely the opinion of the correspondent and that the government considers the Sunnis to be Muslims.

My Muslim brother, consider your religion carefully: if they declared this yesterday while they were weakened in their conflict with Iraq, what do you suppose they will do today? You will find that in cases involving Sunnis, the government imposes the most severe punishments on those involved. For example, a Sunni restaurant owner was accused by the government of selling donkey meat to some of his customers. When the case was brought against him, he was sentenced to death, and the sentence was carried out. Is this an appropriately prescribed Shar’i punishment, even assuming the accusation is true?

Another man who wore the uniform of the Basij (the Khomeini Guard) was a teacher in a public secondary school. He was sentenced to death, and the sentence was carried out. Is this ruling in accordance with Islamic law?

Three Sunnis were abducted by Sunni rebels after a fight in which one of them was killed. (They were originally four; one of them was injured.) The rebels took their weapons and left them tied up. When the government learned of this, it sentenced them to death and carried out the execution. Had they been in a just and rational state, their government would have awarded them medals for courage, honour, and heroism. The charge in this case was collusion with the rebels.

For this reason, many prisoners of war wish for death rather than to return to Iran, because they might be sentenced on charges of collusion with the Iraqi army.

Despite these severe punishments issued against the Ahlus Sunnah for minor infractions, we find that the government encourages and promotes drugs in Sunni regions. In fact, the Basij themselves sell heroin to the Sunnis. I personally spoke with the head of the Basij in one of the Sunni regions about the spread of heroin in the area and hinted at their negligence in this duty. He replied, “We are prepared to discipline any addict or dealer, provided we verify the accuracy of the report.” The government arrested some heroin drug dealers but released them after the case was proven against them, contenting itself with imposing financial fines on them.

 

Some glad tidings

This does not mean that Iran is finished and has become a purely Shia state. Although they strive vehemently and wish to extinguish the light of Allah, Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala will support His religion and elevate His word, even if the polytheists dislike it. Without any power or strength from us, we find—and all praise and grace belong to Allah—that among their own scholars and those holding the rank of Ayatollah, there are those who openly declare their return to the creed of the Ahlus Sunnah wa al Jama’ah without coercion, incentive, or fear. For instance, Ayatollah Burqa’i [Borqei] in Tehran, and likewise in Qom, Shiraz, and Isfahan.

In fact, a secret society has been established in Isfahan calling itself The Seekers of Truth. They have published a book titled ’Umar ibn al Khattab, may Allah be pleased with Him, in which they state how we regard these unique, mighty personalities and ask how is it conceivable that this personality would rip the caliphate away from its rightful owners? He further refuses that the caliphate after him is given to his son, despite the insistence of some Sahabah radiya Llahu ‘anhum, such as Hudhayfah ibn al Yaman radiya Llahu ‘anhu to appoint his son ‘Abdullah as his successor reminding him of the statement of the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, “Indeed, ‘Abdullah is a righteous man.” He does not pass this decision despite having the ability to do so—and had he done so, it would have been implemented. Rather, he pushes the selection of the next caliph through shura (consultation). The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, passed away while pleased with them. They are more worthy of leading than his son, and there is among them no one from the tribe of ‘Adi ibn Ka’b.

Moreover, following Iran’s fierce campaign against the Wahhabis and the clarification of their stance during the events in the sacred precincts of the Haram in Makkah, Iranian Shia and the educated classes began asking us, “What is Wahhabism?” This was because many of them had become disillusioned with the government’s narratives. Fortunately, I had several copies of Kitab al Tawhid by Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul Wahhab—a bilingual edition in Persian alongside the Arabic text. By Allah’s grace, every Shia who encountered it was influenced; one even swore to print this book at his own expense. Now, a group has emerged among the Shia calling themselves al Muwahhidun (the Monotheists), particularly in Shiraz, renouncing their previous practices of polytheism and affirming the Oneness of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala.

Indeed, my Muslim brother, if you were to take a tour through Iran, you would feel as though you are in an Islamic state free of idols and beings worshipped besides Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala. By Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala, besides Whom there is no deity, the polytheists of Makkah were not more attached to their idols than these Iranians are to their scholars besides Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala. Had they read the Qur’an sincerely, they would have abandoned the polytheism they are upon.

You will find the Iranian army and their flags inscribed with “Labbayka ya Khumayni” (At your service, O Khomeini). Even the complementary water they provide along the roads as a charity for Allah’s sake has “Binu shayd be nam-e Hussain” (drink in the name of al Hussain) written on the water containers, while worship is due to Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala alone.

We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala to protect us, our children, and the Muslims from associating partners with Him. And we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala by His beautiful names and His most high Attributes to guide them to Islam and to Tawhid, for He is the turner of hearts and the controller of vision.

Furthermore—and all praise and grace belong to Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala—there are in Iran sincere ’ulama’ and righteous men who undertake propagation and the spreading of the religion. They have taken this responsibility upon their shoulders, seeking thereby the Countenance of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala and the abode of the Hereafter. They have established Islamic schools in villages, cities, and in rugged, mountainous areas where Muslims reside. Many people have gathered around them, and they are prepared to sacrifice their lives in the cause of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala. The Muslims and the scholars continue to adopt wisdom, gentleness, and da’wah with good exhortation, without neglecting jihad in the cause of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala, until Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala decrees a matter which is destined to be accomplished.

If the Muslims were to raise the banner of jihad in Iran, they would not lower it until the lawful Adhan is called in Tehran. Observe the extent of this Shia government’s bigotry, which refused to build a single Sunni Masjid for the Sunni Muslims, despite the number of Sunnis in Tehran being approximately five hundred thousand.^[11] Although all Islamic embassies are present in the capital, the Sunnis collected donations to establish one Sunni Masjid in Tehran. The funds were then entrusted to the noble Sheikh Moftizadeh—may Allah free him from captivity—so that he could meet with Imam Khomeini regarding this project. But what happened? The government confiscated the Muslims’ funds and the Sheikh was thrown into prison, where he has remained for years.

Many Muslims and Islamic organisations outside Iran have appealed to the Iranian government to release Sheikh Moftizadeh due to his significant jihad against the previous government of the Shah, but without any response from the government.

 

 

NEXT⇒ Observations by Sunni ‘Ulama’ who visited Iran

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^[1]  Komiteh: A new army unit established recently, founded by Rafsanjani.

^[2]  Attributed to Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul Wahhab.

^[3]  Also known as Khomeini’s personal guards.

^[4]  Established under the current government. It is responsible for development and construction.

^[5]  Ahadith that mention the virtues of the Household of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

^[6]  Sahih al Bukhari, Hadith: 1358.

^[7]  Sahih al Bukhari, Hadith: 3294.

^[8]  Gendarmerie: The Iranian army established by the Shah of Iran, which still exists but is now subordinated to their command. Perhaps a soldier from the Komiteh or the Basidar might reprimand and rebuke a colonel in the Gendarmerie.

^[9]  Do not be astonished, for they permit anal intercourse with women, especially when the woman is in postpartum or menstruating, citing as evidence the saying of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala in Surah al Baqarah: 223, which reads as follows:

نِسَاؤُكُمْ حَرْثٌ لَّكُمْ فَأْتُوا حَرْثَكُمْ أَنَّىٰ شِئْتُمْ

Your women are a tilth for you, so go to your tilth as you will. 

Praise be to Allah for the blessing of sound belief and good deeds.

^[10]  “Whether Sunni or Shia, their authority is only Khomeini.”

^[11]  More accurately, the number of Sunnis in Tehran exceeds five hundred thousand.