Alluding to the 12th government of Iran after the revolution, the most influential Iranian Sunni leader urged on the rights of all communities in the country saying that Iranian Sunnis do not want to be marginalized.
According to report of the website of Shaikh Abdol-Hamid’s office, he said in a part of his Friday sermon 25th Aug. 2017 in Zahedan: “Iranian Sunnis have been loyal to the system and unity which is the strategy of the system. They have been active in all fields focusing on the messages of the authorities, especially about the recent election. So the legal demands of this community should be taken serious; they should get their due rights.”
“The Iranian Sunnis are not assuming; they just want their legal rights. They want to serve their country and take part in building and managing the country with full zeal and zest,” he added more.
Mawlana Abdol-Hamid welcomed the participation of women in different stages particularly in high-ranking positions in Iran and said: “We also urge on focusing on the rights of women, but unfortunately no one pays any attention to the Sunni community.”
The prominent Sunni scholar demanded fulfilment of the authorities’ slogans about the rights of the Sunni community and said: “As the new cabinet has started to engage women in positions like vice-president or vice-minister which is a good job, we expect they will engage Sunnis also in high-ranking managements, embassies, ministries and provincial governorships.”
“The national interests as well as the interests of the system and Shia community that constitutes the majority of the country exact to engage capable Sunnis in the management of the country. We believe in fraternity and our fraternity with Shia brothers is an actual one,” he underlined.
The social and religious leader of the Sunni community in Iran addressed the authorities and said: “Get Sunnis with yourselves and do not allow them to be disappointed. Disappointing is harmful and it creates distances.”
He further said: “The historical message of the founder of the Islamic revolution should not be forgotten; he said: Sunnis and Shias are brothers and equal in rights. As we as the Supreme Leader said: the Sunnis are first-class citizens. It should be the epigraph and first priority of the authorities.”
“But actually the Iranian Sunnis are not first-class citizens. There has not been any attention to the statements and orders of the supreme leaders about the Sunni community. Iran is the homeland of all Iranians including the Sunnis. We want betterment of everyone in the world,” Shaikh Abdol-Hamid Isma’eelzahi urged.