Ambassador Sam Brownback, the US Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, expressed yesterday his grave concerns in regards to the health and condition of the Gonabadi Sufi’s spiritual leader, Dr Noor Ali Tabandeh.
Dr Noor Ali Tabandeh, has been under effective house arrest since February 2018, with little no contact with his students and with no proper access to medical care. All of which has lead to the deterioration of his health in recent weeks. Over last two months he has been rushed to hospital at least on three occasions.
He has spent the last two weeks under observation at hospital in Tehran, and due to severity of his conditions he is currently being kept within the hospital’s ICU ward.
On Wednesday the Iranian regime’s publicity apparatus widely spread the rumour Dr Tabandeh’s death, only to be denied by his followers few hours later after rushing to hospital in order to put down the rumours.
Gonabadi Sufi’s who number in millions, have consistently resisted the extreme interpretation of Islam by the Iranian regime and advocate the separation of state and religion, and peace and harmony and respect for human rights of each person regardless of faith, gender or race. Because of these beliefs, which are opposed by the Iranian regime’s extreme ideology the Sufi’s have been heavily oppressed .
The Iranian Regime’s February 2018 widespread crackdown of Gonabadi Sufis, which led to the imprisonment of 800 Sufis, and the murder of Mohammad Raji under torture and the execution of Mohammad Salas on fabricated charges. Dr. Noor Ali Tabandeh has been held under house arrest where every aspect of his life has is strictly controlled, and he has repeatedly been poisoned and drugged with the goal of replacing him with the Regime’s own agents. This means that for almost two years Dr. Tabandeh has lived in isolation and under house arrest, with constant danger to his life.