Businesses Stage Strikes to Protest Sunni Cleric Arrest

In an expression of dissatisfaction, the business community of Rask city in Sistan and Baluchistan province went on strike on August 22, protesting the arrest of Molavi Fathi Mohammad Naqshbandi, the esteemed Sunni Imam of the city.

Naqshbandi was apprehended by security forces of the Islamic Republic on August 20. 

He is accused of "dissemination of false information through speeches, defamation of the Islamic Republic of Iran's system, and acting against national security."

The detention of this prominent cleric, renowned for his support of nationwide protests, has sparked an extensive reaction from Sunni scholars and citizens across cities in the province.

On the evening of August 21, demonstrators congregated in the cities of Zahedan, Sarbaz, Rask, and Dashtiari, expressing their dissent towards the Islamic Republic through protest chants. 

The protesters disrupted communication routes by torching car tires while demanding the immediate realises of Naqshbandi.

Video footage obtained by IranWire from Rask shows that shops were shuttered throughout the restive city on Tuesday afternoon.

🎥 اعتصاب شهروندان در راسک در اعتراض به بازداشت مولوی فتحی محمد نقشبندی

روز سه‌شنبه ۳۱ مرداد، کسبه و شهروندان راسک در اعتراض به بازداشت مولوی فتحی محمد نقشبندی، امام جمعه این شهر دست به اعتصاب زدند. شب گذشته نیز خیابان های راسک شاهد تظاهرات معترضان بود.#راسک #اعتراضات_سراسری… pic.twitter.com/kRIjLCshUU

— ایران وایر (@iranwire) August 22, 2023

Molavi Abdulhamid, the Friday imam of Zahedan, added his voice to the chorus of objections against the arrest of Naqshbandi, urging for his swift release.

"The arrest of Molavi Fathi Mohammad Naqshbandi, the respected Friday imam of Rask and prominent public figures and scholars, for criticizing the performance of the authorities, will spread discontent and have negative consequences. His release as soon as possible is in everyone's interest," Molavi Abdulhamid said in a tweet. 

Molavi Abdul Ghafar Naqshbandi, the son of Fathi Mohammad Naqshbandi and a fervent critic of the Islamic Republic, responded to his father's detainment by the security forces. 

"Assuming that holding my elderly father captive will compel us to forsake the pursuit of justice for the martyrs of Zahedan and throughout Iran is a miscalculation. Our dedication extends beyond my father," he said.

Makhzan-al-Uloom Seminary of Khash city also released a statement unequivocally condemning the arrest of Naqshbandi. 

They issued a resolute demand for his "immediate release," along with that of other detained clerics like Molavi Abdul Majid Muradzahi and Molavi Fazal Rahman Kohi, as well as various political prisoners.