Shaikh-ul-Islam Mawlana Abdolhamid, October 3, 2025 in his Friday sermon in Zahedan, referring to the escalation of global sanctions and the threat of war against Iran, stressed that overcoming this situation requires a new mechanism. The Friday prayer leader of Zahedan emphasized that officials should think about the salvation of the nation and the country, keep the door of dialogue and negotiation with the world open, and consult with moderate individuals in this regard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shaikh-ul-Islam Mawlana Abdolhamid, October 3, 2025 in his Friday sermon in Zahedan, referring to the escalation of global sanctions and the threat of war against Iran, stressed that overcoming this situation requires a new mechanism. The Friday prayer leader of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3076,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-speeches"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3621"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3621\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3623,"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3621\/revisions\/3623"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3076"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cNew Global Sanctions\u201d and the \u201cThreat of War\u201d Have Worried the Iranian People
<\/strong>According to the official website of the Sunni Friday Prayer Leader of Zahedan, Mawlana Abdolhamid said: \u201cThese days global sanctions have worried the Iranian people. The United Nations, the United States, and major European countries are trying to convince most nations\u2014even neighboring states in the region\u2014to join the sanctions against Iran, in order to impose an economic blockade on the country by land, air, and sea.\u201d
He added: \u201cFor twenty years, the Iranian nation has been trapped in a severe economic blockade. These sanctions began after the revolution, but from around 2006 they intensified, and now Iran faces unprecedented sanctions. These sanctions are even worse for Iran than war or military attack.\u201d
The Friday prayer leader of Zahedan stated: \u201cWar is also threatening Iran. Every night when the Iranian people go to bed, they fear that Israel might launch a military strike. Iran and Israel threaten each other with war and military action, while today\u2019s wars are no longer fought with swords or even rifles, but with the most dangerous and destructive modern bombs and weapons, which are devastating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEconomic Blockade\u201d and \u201cWar\u201d Will Paralyze the Country
<\/strong>Criticizing those who express joy over the current situation, Mawlana Abdolhamid said: \u201cSome people, who think superficially, are happy about this situation and even call for military conflict, while war is dangerous\u2014it targets national and economic interests and cripples the country\u2019s economy. Sanctions penetrate into households, and their harm reaches every single Iranian. An economic blockade on one side, and a possible military strike on the other, is extremely dangerous.\u201d
He added: \u201cIn the past, some officials always claimed and propagated that these sanctions had no effect and would not cause problems. But now they see that even neighboring countries\u2014either because of the nuclear issue (since no country is content with its neighbor producing nuclear weapons) or because they are under pressure from global powers and see their own interests at risk\u2014have joined the sanctioning states, prioritizing their own benefits over ours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today Iran, the Home of All of Us, Is At Risk
<\/strong>The Friday prayer leader of Zahedan emphasized: \u201cThe hearts of all rational and thoughtful people ache for their country. Iran is the nation and home of all of us, and today this home is in danger. No one wants their house destroyed or their country harmed. Therefore, we must understand that this matter is not simple and requires deep, fundamental thought.\u201d
He added: \u201cOfficials, intellectuals, elites, and moderate scholars must think and propose solutions to stop these sanctions. I, too, with the hope that my voice may reach somewhere, have some suggestions and solutions for overcoming this situation, which I am presenting from this pulpit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRetreat\u201d Does Not Always Mean \u201cSurrender\u201d
<\/strong>Shaikh-ul-Islam Mawlana Abdolhamid stated: officials must adopt a new mechanism in these circumstances and should not say that we must either surrender and bow our heads or resist. There are other ways, and new methods and tactics must be used. You should neither bow your head nor insist on outright resistance; rather, you must find an escape route from this situation.
The Friday prayer leader of Zahedan said: \u201cMake a tactical retreat; retreat does not always mean surrender.\u201d The Holy Qur\u2019an in the verse \u201cAnd whoever then turns his back, [seeking] not to fight, but only to shift positions to another group \u2014 such have earned the wrath of Allah, and Hell will be their abode \u2014 and evil is the destination.\u201d [Al-Anfal: 16] permits retreat from battle in two cases: one, when the retreat is a military tactic so that the army may be saved from the enemy\u2019s assault and then attack the enemy from another route and strike; and two, when the retreat is intended to join another group so that, in cooperation with that group, they may confront the enemy.
He stressed: out of compassion I say that, besides the two options of \u201csurrender\u201d or \u201cresistance,\u201d there is a third way; a path must be chosen that prevents sanctions and war against the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Temporarily Suspend Nuclear Activities
<\/strong>Mawlana Abdolhamid said: it is true that peaceful nuclear energy is our legitimate right and senior officials of the country have said they do not intend to produce nuclear weapons, but now that the world does not believe this and the majority of the international community has united to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capability, we should not incur even greater losses for the sake of pursuing nuclear activities. Our country has more than eighty million people; we must think of this population, especially the weak segments, and consider saving the nation.
Addressing officials, he noted: \u201cFor now, temporarily halt nuclear activities and allow IAEA inspectors to come and verify up close that Iran does not intend to produce nuclear weapons and that its program is for peaceful purposes; when the world is convinced that Iran is not pursuing nuclear arms, the field for peaceful nuclear activity will open up. Therefore, reach an agreement and come to an understanding with the other side so that both the sanctions and the danger of military attack are removed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There Are Alternatives to Nuclear Weapons for Power and Influence
<\/strong>Mawlana Abdolhamid continued: some say that if we do not have nuclear weapons we will be endangered. Why should we be exposed to danger? Nuclear arms are held by only a few specific countries and many nations do not possess them \u2014 are those countries without nuclear weapons necessarily at risk?
He added: there are other ways to attain power and play a role on the world stage. The Iranian nation is among the wise and historically significant peoples. Iran can become a center of faith, justice, knowledge, art, righteous action, and an economic hub that benefits the world and gains honor and respect globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Find Solutions to Save the Nation and the Country; Officials Must Enter \u201cNegotiation and Dialogue\u201d
<\/strong>The Friday prayer leader of Zahedan continued: \u201cNow the world says the door to negotiation is open, and the President of Iran has also said we are ready for a \u2018just negotiation.\u2019 But if the other side refuses a fair negotiation, then with tact and wisdom some steps backward must be taken to prevent war and sanctions. The old sages used to say you should not put your hand in the mouth of a drunken camel.\u201d Therefore, prudence means officials must find ways to save the nation from dangers.
He said: \u201cWhen there are solutions and remedies, what need is there to clash with the world and confront it? Officials must engage in negotiation and dialogue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hold \u201cOpen Forums\u201d to Reach the Right Solutions and Hear the People\u2019s Voices
<\/strong>The Friday prayer leader of Zahedan, addressing the officials, said: \u201cI say these matters as a citizen. I have repeatedly emphasized before that there must be open forums where university scholars, clerics, intellectuals, and different segments of the people can come and voice their opinions. We oppose the fact that someone who makes constructive criticism ends up in prison or faces legal charges. We can only reach the best solutions when open forums exist and the people can express themselves.\u201d
He noted: \u201cAn open forum limited to Parliament is not enough. True, there are learned individuals among the members of Parliament, but all of these representatives, as well as other officials of the country, are chosen through strict screening filters, and many worthy, intelligent, and capable individuals have been excluded through these selections.\u201d
Mawlana Abdolhamid further said: \u201cOur grievance is that consultation is taken mostly from military figures, while they are experts in military matters. But in the fields of politics and political strategies, the viewpoints of politicians should be considered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All Humans Make Mistakes; Advisors Must Challenge the Opinions of Leaders
<\/strong>He continued: \u201cWe should not consult only with those who approve everything and say, \u2018This is the opinion of the leaders.\u2019 In consultations, there must be people who challenge the opinions of the leaders so that correct and proper solutions may be reached. All humans make mistakes and none are infallible \u2014 even the prophets made mistakes, and Allah Almighty reproached them. Allah said to the Prophet : \u2018May Allah pardon you! Why did you grant them leave?\u2019 [At-Tawbah: 43] and also: \u2018He frowned and turned away because the blind man came to him. And how can you know that perhaps he might be purified?\u2019 [Abasa: 1-3]. Therefore, when even prophets are subject to lapses, the condition of other human beings is self-evident.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u201cPeople\u201d Are the Greatest Asset of the Country; Their Demands Must Be Respected
<\/strong>The Friday prayer leader of Zahedan went on to describe the \u201cnation\u201d as the \u201cgreatest asset,\u201d saying: \u201cThe people matter. No country has a greater asset than its people. Oil, gas, and other resources are not the true assets of the nation; the greatest wealth and capital of Iran is its people, and their voices must be heard and their demands respected.\u201d
He added: \u201cIn the past it was repeatedly said that the issue of hijab should not be addressed through violence, but with wisdom, prudence, and respect for women\u2019s rights. Now the officials themselves have come to the conclusion that the best way is through gentleness, prudence, and wisdom, and avoiding violence. Therefore, it is better that we first act with wisdom and prudence so that we do not suffer losses in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If Only We Had a \u201cPeople\u2019s Council\u201d and a \u201cPeace Committee\u201d in the Country
<\/strong>In conclusion, Mawlana Abdolhamid said: \u201cI wish our country had a \u2018People\u2019s Council\u2019 and a \u2018Peace Committee\u2019 composed of scholars, academics, and moderate intellectuals who could offer solutions so that issues would not reach a dead end.\u201d
He stressed: \u201cToday, extremists are the source of all the world\u2019s problems, while the words of moderate individuals are not heard. Therefore, reason dictates that we must find new solutions to the country\u2019s problems and bring issues out of deadlock.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"