Shaikh-ul-Islam Mawlana Abdolhamid, today (February 13th, 2026) during the Friday prayer ceremony in Zahedan, described the January events in the country as \u201cextremely bitter and shocking\u201d and \u201cunprecedented in Iran\u2019s history.\u201d He called on officials, instead of \u201cjustifying\u201d these events, to \u201capologize\u201d to the people and the bereaved families, and to yield to their demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shaikh-ul-Islam Mawlana Abdolhamid, today (February 13th, 2026) during the Friday prayer ceremony in Zahedan, described the January events in the country as \u201cextremely bitter and shocking\u201d…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3085,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3737","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\/3737","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=3737"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3737\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3739,"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3737\/revisions\/3739"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abdolhamid.net\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Iranians Feel They Have Been Humiliated Among Other Nations
<\/strong>According to the official information website of the Office of the Sunni Friday Prayer Leader of Zahedan, Mawlana Abdolhamid said: The events of January 8th and 9th, 2026 that occurred in the country were extremely bitter and shocking, unprecedented in Iran\u2019s history. Some officials are trying to justify these events, and I consider it necessary to address this matter.
He noted: The Iranian people established the \u201cIslamic Republic\u201d in Iran and throughout the years after the Revolution supported this system. However, we must examine what situation and position the people are in today. The Iranian nation has been among the proud and wealthy nations of the world, but today they are trapped in poverty and hardship and feel humiliated among other nations, no longer possessing their former dignity.
The Friday prayer leader of Zahedan added: These days, people are unable to afford the costs of their children\u2019s marriages; the head of a household cannot provide for his wife and children. Employees, retirees, and workers cannot live on these wages. Trade and the market have also faced serious problems, and merchants and shopkeepers have gone bankrupt. Life has become extremely difficult for villagers as well. Even the subsidies paid to the people are worthless, because the country\u2019s currency has lost its value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People Repeatedly Called For \u201cChange,\u201d But Their Voices Were Not Heard
<\/strong>Mawlana Abdolhamid said: When Iranians faced these harsh conditions, they felt the country must be rescued from this situation and that change and transformation were necessary. For a long time, the people of Iran have demanded changes, and they have repeatedly shouted for them\u2014each time facing casualties\u2014yet they felt they were not seen and their voices were not heard.
He added: In the years 2019 and 2022, people came into the streets, protested, and suffered deaths. But the most recent uprising of the Iranian people, which took place in January 2026, was extremely severe. Many of our compatriots in different cities across the country were killed or injured, many were arrested, and many families were left grieving and mourning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People\u2019s Hearts Are Not Comforted By Officials\u2019 Justifications
<\/strong>The Friday prayer leader of Zahedan emphasized: The casualties inflicted upon the people in the January events have no justification. Some officials are trying to justify it. Some claim it was \u201cISIS\u201d and \u201csmall groups.\u201d Others may not know, but we Iranians understand one another\u2019s language well. Does \u201cISIS\u201d or a \u201cgroup\u201d have so much power and manpower that it could kill people and cause chaos in a hundred cities?!
Therefore, it is better for officials, instead of offering such excuses, to apologize to the nation and accept the people\u2019s demands.
He stressed: People\u2019s hearts are not comforted by these justifications. The people are sorrowful, distressed, and anxious\u2014so much so that various political activists, parties, and organizations inside and outside the country have issued statements expressing concern about the situation and proposing solutions to save the country, the homeland, and the people.
He said: Those who propose solutions inside and outside the country are well-wishers of the nation. Of course, among those abroad, there may also be some ill-intentioned individuals, but their number is very small. All Iranians abroad are our compatriots, and even if they protest, it is out of concern for the country and the people. The Iranian people who came out and protested were not Israelis or Americans; they were our dear Iranian compatriots. The people are the country\u2019s greatest asset and capital, and officials must show genuine care for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If Officials Had Heard The People\u2019s Cries, These Problems Would Not Have Happened
<\/strong>Mawlana Abdolhamid continued: The reason I spoke and warned throughout these years was that I foresaw this day\u2014when people become trapped and the country reaches a dead end, the people cry out and protest, and problems emerge. There is an Arabic proverb: \u201cIdh\u0101 ya\u2019isa al-ins\u0101n \u1e6d\u0101la lis\u0101nuhu\u201d\u2014when a person becomes hopeless, his tongue grows long, and he cries out.
He emphasized: If officials had heard the people\u2019s cries and responded to them, these problems would not have occurred for either the people or the officials. In many countries of the world, officials listen to the people and either solve their problems and win their satisfaction, or they resign from their responsibilities. But in no country in the world have people been treated in this manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If People Demand An Official\u2019s Resignation, He Must Step Aside
<\/strong>The Friday prayer leader of Zahedan stated: Officials must look at what the people want. If the people demand that an official step down, that official must step aside. This is a commendable action both in terms of Islamic law and in terms of global, international, and social norms. In whatever way possible, the people\u2019s satisfaction must be secured, and the nation\u2019s demands\u2014even if bitter\u2014must be accepted; the outcome of such an action will be sweet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do Not Imprison And Sentence Political Activists
<\/strong>Mawlana Abdolhamid, referring to the recent arrests of political activists in the country, said: Recently, a number of political activists and party leaders have been arrested and detained. Do not imprison and convict political activists; rather, release the previous political prisoners.
He noted: Under the current circumstances, the country needs national unity, and the words of political activists and the entire Iranian nation must be heard. If we listen to the people and accept their demands, the country\u2019s security will be preserved and the country will not fall into war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Executions Have Caused Public Hatred \/ \u201cExecution\u201d And \u201cForced Confession\u201d Have No Religious Or Legal Justification
<\/strong>In another part of his remarks, Mawlana Abdolhamid referred to the consequences of the \u201cincrease in executions\u201d and said: The executions that have existed since the early days of the Revolution, and which have intensified in recent years, have created hatred among the people. These executions are in no way justifiable from the perspective of Islamic law, international law, or even the laws of the Islamic Republic. \u201cForced confession\u201d also has no religious, jurisprudential, or legal justification, and it is prohibited under the country\u2019s current law as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We Are \u201cSuspicious\u201d About The Kidnappings; The Kidnappers Must Be Identified \/ The Responsibility Of Judicial, Security, And Law-Enforcement Bodies Is Extremely Heavy
<\/strong>The Friday prayer leader of Zahedan again condemned the phenomenon of \u201ckidnapping\u201d and said: Kidnapping is an extremely ugly and disturbing phenomenon which, unfortunately, has become very widespread in the province and in the city of Zahedan. Those who carry out these kidnappings are unfair individuals, and we are suspicious about who these people really are. The kidnappers must be identified and the hostages must be freed.
He emphasized: The religious and legal responsibility of the judiciary, the police force, the security agencies, and all institutions responsible for providing security in the province is extremely heavy. The security of the province, its counties, and the city of Zahedan is important and must be preserved.
He also urged tribes and clans to confront the phenomenon of kidnapping and said: Scholars, elders, trusted community figures among tribes and clans, and other influential individuals also have responsibilities in this matter. Tribes and clans must be vigilant so that kidnappers do not hide behind their own tribe or clan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mawlana Yarmohammad (May Allah Have Mercy On Him) Was A Distinguished Scholar Who Rendered Many Services In The Sistan Region
<\/strong>The Friday prayer leader of Zahedan, continuing his remarks, referred to the passing of Mawlana Yarmohammad Barahoui, the Friday prayer leader of Hirmand, and said: Mawlana Yarmohammad (may Allah have mercy on him) was a distinguished scholar who carried out many activities and services in the Sistan region. He built the largest mosque in Hirmand County and in the Sistan region. I offer my condolences for the passing of this distinguished scholar to his family, the people of Hirmand County, and all the people of Sistan, and I ask Allah to forgive him and elevate his ranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shaikh-ul-Islam Mawlana Abdolhamid, At The End Of His Remarks, Asked The Public To Try To Sight The Ramadan Crescent On Wednesday Evening (February, 18th, 2026).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"