On social media, certain spaces have become true platforms where anger, hope, and the search for justice are openly expressed. It is in this context that an Amazigh activist from the Rif, Ahmed Soultana (أحمد سلطانة), regularly hosts live broadcasts, during which he exposes the tyranny of the Moroccan system, denouncing policies of division, oppression, and injustice. Ahmed Soultana, born on January 26, 1984, in Nador, Morocco (Rif), is deeply involved in the Hirak Rif Movement, a social and political movement in northern Morocco advocating against marginalization, corruption, and injustice. He was imprisoned twice for his active participation in the Hirak protests, alongside Nasser Zefzafi, the prominent leader of the movement. His arrests were part of a broader crackdown on the movement’s demands for social justice, economic development, and recognition of Rifian rights. Following these persecutions, Ahmed Soultana applied for political asylum in Spain, continuing his activism abroad and using social media to raise awareness about the conditions and rights of the Rif population. His story reflects the persistent and peaceful struggle for justice and dignity in a historically marginalized region. It was during one of these live sessions that I was invited to speak, joining the conversation on justice, equity, and the path toward a society guided by divine principles. An Invitation to Propose a Real Solution During this broadcast, the host was not only denouncing the situation; he raised a fundamental question to his audience and guests: “If this system were to collapse, what should replace it in order to establish true justice, real equity, as well as peace and dignity for the people?” Faced with this question, I took the floor to present what I believe is the only true solution: The establishment of the State of Divine Justice, as outlined in the manifesto of the Mahdi. I spoke as a companion of the Imam Mahdi, represented today by Abdullah Hashem Aba Al Sadiq, affirming that justice can only truly be achieved when God Himself chooses the guide and ruler of mankind. A Debate Between Identity, Power, and Visions of Islam It is important to highlight the particular context in which this exchange took place. The host of the live, an Amazigh from the Rif — a region historically marked by resistance and a strong identity — positions himself in a political struggle against an oppressive and unjust Moroccan system. However, when the discussion shifted toward a solution based on religion and divine governance, the debate took on another dimension. Several guests, presented as religious scholars, intervened to defend a vision of Islam aligned either with the dominant religious framework or with the legitimacy of the Moroccan kingdom. Their position consisted of supporting an institutional form of Islam, often in harmony with political authority, and opposing any challenge to that balance. In this context, my brother Ismael and I found ourselves defending a minority but firm position: the call to Imam Mahdi and the establishment of the Divine Just State. We were thus facing a double opposition: Defenders of what is often called “mainstream Islam,” attached to traditional interpretations and established institutions Supporters of the Moroccan kingdom, for whom current political stability outweighs any alternative. This confrontation revealed a deep fracture — not only political, but also spiritual. Beyond the apparent disagreements, the real issue at stake was the question of authority: human or divine. An Intense Exchange Against Multiple Opponents Following this position, the host broadened the debate by inviting several participants: religious scholars, supporters of the regime, and various opponents. In order to balance the exchange, I also invited a fellow believer to join the live. We thus found ourselves defending this perspective against three, four, sometimes even five opposing voices. The debate was intense but deeply revealing of the fundamental divergence between two visions of the world: one based on human-made systems, and the other based on divine designation. A Large and Engaged Audience This live session was far from insignificant. It gathered a considerable audience, with more than 1,200 simultaneous viewers on TikTok alone, not including other platforms where the broadcast was shared. This reflects a growing interest in these fundamental questions: justice, legitimacy of power, and the future of societies.   The Core Issue: Divine Legitimacy A central point emerged during the discussion: the recognition of Imam Mahdi. In a country that claims to be Muslim, a crucial question arises: Should the Moroccan people not support and grant victory to the Mahdi, as the rightful successor of the Prophet Mohammed? According to the perspective I defended, the fundamental issue lies in the fact that: People are unaware that the current system usurps the legacy of the Prophet, It diverts governance away from the one who should be divinely appointed, and it excludes the true and legitimate spiritual heirs. Thus, the injustices observed are not merely political or economic, but the direct consequence of abandoning the divine choice. Live Debate Cut Short by Mysterious Interruption During the live stream, the host repeatedly claimed to be under close surveillance by Moroccan intelligence services, and even his broadcasts were being reported. However, the situation took an unexpected turn when the religious scholar, confronted with his own contradictions, found himself in difficulty as he read hadiths of the Prophet Mohammed that, rather than supporting his claims, actually reinforced our arguments. It was at that moment that a particularly strange  thing occurred: control of the live stream was suddenly lost, and an unidentified, extremely loud voice began shouting, “Long live King Mohammed VI.” This intrusion was accompanied by insults and the blasting of Moroccan music at a very high volume. The voice ordered the host and all listeners—including us—to abandon the topic, stop discussing it altogether, and instead turn to light activities on TikTok, such as dancing or taking on challenges, while continuing to hurl insults. According to the claims made during the live broadcast, this interruption was allegedly due to an intervention by Moroccan intelligence services, which reportedly succeeded in shutting down the stream before the debate had concluded or a new topic for the next debate had been determined. As a result, the approximately 1,300 people who were attentively following the discussion were suddenly disconnected, including myself and brother Ismael. Recognizing the True Guide The debate also addressed a crucial question: how can one distinguish the true Mahdi from a false one? Ismael and I emphasized that this recognition can only be achieved through: knowledge of the signs transmitted in religious traditions, the consistency of the message with divine justice, and a sincere search for truth, beyond political or cultural interests. Ismael and I also highlighted a fundamental point in this reflection: If God is perfectly just, and if He has sent a great number of Prophets — 124,000 according to the Prophet Mohammed — then He must have provided humanity with a clear method, a tool, a law, or a universal criterion to recognize His Messenger in every era. Otherwise, a question arises: How could humanity protect itself from misguidance? If anyone could claim to be the Mahdi without a divine criterion to verify such a claim, this would imply injustice, which contradicts the very nature of God. Therefore, it becomes logical that: God has established a reliable method of recognition, accessible to those who sincerely seek the truth, and allowing a clear distinction between truth and falsehood. Moreover, the Mahdi is not sent to Muslims alone, but to all of humanity. Consequently, this method of recognition cannot be limited to a single tradition. It must necessarily be found, in different forms, across all revealed religions, so that every people, every culture, and every believer can access the signs needed to identify the true guide. Conclusion This live debate was far more than a simple exchange: it revealed a deep divide between two approaches to justice and power. On one side, contested and criticized human systems. On the other, a call to return to governance based on divine will. In a world searching for direction, one question remains: Can justice truly exist without returning to its divine source?

History was made on March 13th 2026, 0 3.13 .2026, when a protest organised by the members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light took the Egyptian embassies around the world by storm in a humiliating exposure of their abuses of basic Human Rights according to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which Egypt is a signatory to since the 10th of December 1948. Article 18 of this universal declaration states that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; and this includes the freedom to change one's religion or belief and to practice it alone or in community with others, both publicly and privately. A total of 15 Egyptian embassies around the world were confronted with protesters declaring their disapproval of the Egyptian authorities and their demands to have their fellow believing brothers released immediately . What makes this landmark endeavour especially important is that the leader and founder of the religion, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq, attended the demonstration in Central London outside the Egyptian Embassy himself. He stood shoulder to shoulder with his supporters on the street as they protested the harrowing abduction, unjust detention, and brutal mistreatment inflicted by the Egyptian authorities on 14 innocent men. The message was loud and clear; the Egyptian authorities must release the members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, who have been held without trial or formal charges brought against them for over a year, immediately.  London, United Kingdom -  03.13.2026 Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq was accompanied by 104 of his companions and supporters, and they arrived outside the Embassy by 10:00 a.m. They were also joined before midday by a further 11 believers who gathered from various parts of the United Kingdom. This brought the total number of protesters, including Aba Al-Sadiq, to 116. The air was filled with ardent anger directed at those oppressors who failed to provide the most basic of human rights. A second and then a third police van made an appearance, with officers asking to speak to the organiser Hadil Al-Khouly. Once they had spoken to her, they eased up with some officers departing, while others remained. Eventually, all the extra officers left, leaving the original two officers at the doors of the embassy by themselves. As the chanting grew in vigour, many members of the public came to enquire, some filming as they watched with interest. A short documentary recorded on the day  gives a brief overview of what happened. The day drew to a close before 1:00 p.m. with Aba Al-Sadiq thanking the police officers in person and then leaving on foot with his companions to the boarding location of the buses. As the believers made their way back to the buses, they could not help but vociferously chant “Aba Al-Sadiq” through the streets of London  proudly.  Dhaka, Bangladesh - 03.12.2026 The believers gathered in Dhaka and managed to attract the attention of local press outlet Infinity Bangla TV  while they protested outside the Egyptian embassy with banners and placards detailing the persecution of the 14 detained believers in Egypt. During the gathering, one of the protestors delivered a powerful message in which he said: “The Egypt that once illuminated the world with law and civilization is now being used as a state machinery to extinguish the light of its citizens’ faith. We have not come here today merely to lament; we have come to demand accountability for our rightful rights.” The demands voiced during this peaceful protest were as follows: Immediate release of all peaceful believers unlawfully detained or disappeared in Egypt An end to torture in prisons and immediate access to proper medical treatment for detainees An end to religious extremism and mob violence in Bangladesh, with protection for vulnerable communities and legal action against those who incite violence The protest came to a natural end with the believers dispersing once they had accomplished their intended objective. Bangkok, Thailand - 03.12.2026 At 10:15 a.m. , 113 Thai citizens — including thirteen believers of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light gathered outside the Egyptian Embassy in Bangkok to peacefully protest. One message echoed loudly throughout the protest: “Faith is not a crime.” One of the organisers spoke clearly about the injustice faced by the 14 Egyptian believers, calling the actions against them cruel and oppressive. The crowd of 113 Thai citizens stood united in agreement, expressing solidarity with those imprisoned for their beliefs. Several Thai police officers were present to ensure the protest remained peaceful and orderly.  During the demonstration, police communicated with embassy staff and informed the protesters that a senior official from the embassy would come down to receive a formal letter regarding the detained believers. At one point, an Egyptian man was seen coming downstairs from the embassy, but he appeared hesitant and fearful to approach the protesters and eventually decided not to engage with them. According to the Thai police, senior officials from the embassy ultimately chose not to come down themselves, instead asking if a representative could receive the letter on their behalf.  Shortly afterward, a Thai employee representing the Egyptian Embassy came down to receive the letter. Witnesses said she appeared shocked and frightened by the size and determination of the protest. The protesters’ position was made clear; if the Egyptian authorities remain silent and fail to act on the case, the protesters will return again to demonstrate in front of the embassy again and again. The moment that the letter was handed over was witnessed and recorded by Thai media outlets, including Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel 5 and Thai Public Broadcasting Service. They conducted interviews with some of the organisers of the protest about the situation of the detained believers. The peaceful protest lasted nearly one hour before the crowd dispersed. In another important development, one of the organisers, Chanon Kheansuwan, was also invited to speak on a Thai radio station on Saturday, the 21st of March, where he appeared on the Online Radio and Television Station, Association of Media and Arts People Network, to discuss the protest demanding the release of 14 believers detained in Egypt. During the interview, Chanon emphasized that the protest was entirely grassroots, with no external sponsors. “All of us gathered by our own free will to call for justice,” he said. “Humanity comes first before Religion.” He stressed personal responsibility in advocating for human rights, noting, “If I don’t do it, who will?” Chanon also highlighted small but important developments since the protest, including the permission for relatives to meet the detained members and growing international support for their cause. He stressed that similar actions might take place in the future if necessary. The segment also introduced the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, with Chanon explaining its teachings of peace, forgiveness, and respect for humanity. He encouraged public dialogue and peaceful debate, stating that inquiries about the faith could be directed to him online. The broadcast, which also featured Mister Universe Thailand as a guest, was livestreamed on two Facebook pages, PSC TV News  and the Volunteer Media and Arts Club , showcasing images of Chanon, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq, and the protest. The hosts recognized Chanon as the first activist to publicly champion the cause of the persecuted Ahmadi members in Egypt. Manila, Philippines - 03.13.2026 30 Filipino members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light gathered outside the Egyptian Embassy in Makati City. What was meant to be a peaceful public demonstration was reportedly restricted from the very beginning. Despite presenting a permit, the group said they were blocked by police officers and local MACEA (Makati Central Estate Association Inc) guards upon arrival. They were instructed not to raise placards and not to hold a rally, and were only allowed to take photographs outside the embassy. According to participants, the Egyptian Embassy had filed a complaint regarding the planned protest. For the believers, this was seen as more than a procedural obstacle. It was an effort to silence peaceful voices, suppress freedom of expression, and prevent public attention from reaching the human rights abuses faced by the detained members in Egypt. But their voices were not silenced. Unable to continue the protest as planned outside the embassy, Filipino believers and supporters came together and organized the event instead at the home of one of the believers. From there, they stood united, holding banners and placards, speaking out boldly against the persecution of their imprisoned brothers, and calling for their immediate release. Their message was clear; faith is not a crime, peaceful belief is not extremism, and unjust detention must end. The gathering was also broadcast through an online livestream, allowing more people to witness their message of solidarity, courage, and human rights advocacy. The believers in the Philippines made it clear that they will continue raising awareness about the suffering of the detained members in Egypt and will not stop calling for justice. Berlin, Germany - 03.13.2026 Twenty-four participants gathered at the Egyptian embassy in Berlin. The demonstration began at 10:30 a.m. , when protesters arrived at the embassy 3 believers were already present and had noticed several embassy staff vehicles entering the compound earlier that morning. Soon after, the group calmly took their positions outside the embassy, and around 11:00 a.m. , a speech was delivered in Arabic addressing the detention of the 14 believers, calling for justice. Following that, a speech in German was conducted explaining the situation to those present and to passersby who had begun gathering nearby. At the same time, Dennis, a journalist from “Laut-Werden”, joined the protest to report on the demonstration. Shortly after a second speech in Arabic had been delivered, police approached the group and asked that speeches not be expressed in Arabic, a request that surprised the protesters but did not stop the demonstration from continuing. Around 11:15 a.m. , the first visible reactions came from inside the embassy. Two individuals stepped outside and placed objects near the entrance while observing the protest. Not long after, embassy staff could be seen watching from the windows, some even recording or taking photos with their mobile phones. Meanwhile, more people began to notice the demonstration. Passersby stopped, observed from a distance, and some took photos. Two individuals, Dominik and Melanie, who had heard about the protest, decided to join the gathering in solidarity. Later, one of the organisers addressed the crowd with a speech in German. As the protest gained attention, embassy staff were seen going to the nearby police station. According to Dominik, authorities had requested police protection for the embassy. Not long after, a black van arrived at the main entrance, leading some to speculate that employees might be preparing to leave the premises. At around 11:30 a.m. , journalist Dennis conducted interviews with the protesters; he mainly conducted an interview with the religion’s correspondent, Leo Weigel , asking key questions: “Who are you?”; “Why are you here?” “What happened to the detained believers?” and “What are your demands?” He directed the group to position themselves for clearer photos and quickly uploaded the interview online . By 11:45 a.m. , several embassy employees began leaving the building. As their vehicles passed the demonstration, many of them avoided eye contact, looking down instead of facing the protesters. Throughout the protest, passersby continued to express curiosity and interest, some pausing to observe and others capturing photos. Madrid, Spain - 03.13.2026 After arriving at the location designated by the police near the embassy, the group began the demonstration by reading a prepared statement addressing the Egyptian Embassy. The statement called for the immediate release of the detained members in Egypt and defended the fundamental right of every person to practice and express their faith freely. Throughout the gathering, one message remained at the heart of the protest - faith is not a crime. During the demonstration, participants distributed posters and informational flyers to passersby to raise awareness about the case of the 14 detained believers in Egypt. Many people stopped to look at the large posters and listen as one of the organisers addressed the crowd through a megaphone. Several individuals also accepted flyers to learn more about the situation. A photo journalist named David, who works for SO PA Images ,  was present at the scene and observed the demonstration, and his record of the day can be seen here . Participants also noticed a woman who appeared to enter and leave the embassy several times while holding her phone up, seemingly taking photos of the protest, indicating that the gathering had drawn attention from inside the embassy. Beyond the visible events, what made the day especially powerful was the sense of spiritual unity felt among the believers, and the voices shouting “Freedom for our brothers!” filled the protest with emotion and determination. Paris, France - 03.13.2026 10 believers gathered outside the Egyptian Embassy in Paris, on Avenue d’Iéna. The group had travelled from different parts of France, as well as from Belgium and Germany, which made the gathering especially meaningful. Some believers had welcomed others for the night, creating a warm atmosphere of brotherhood and unity before the protest even began. The believers arrived at around 10:00 a.m. and spent time together preparing their placards and banners before the protest began. At 11:00 a.m. , they started demonstrating, despite the heavy rain. The authorities had given them a spot on the opposite side of the road, where they had enough space to express themselves. This came after they had responded to an initial refusal to allow the protest directly in front of the embassy. Throughout the demonstration, the group chanted, held up banners, and read speeches about the case, calling for freedom for the 14 believers detained in Egypt. The rain continued the entire time, but the group remained dedicated and resolute. Those attending also noticed visible reactions from inside the embassy. People appeared at the windows, came out onto the balcony, and watched the protest closely. At one point, 2 individuals were sent out to take photos of the protestors. Even so, the demonstration remained peaceful and focused, and the believers were glad to have made their voices heard. The gathering in Paris was a beautiful example of solidarity, brotherhood, and shared purpose, as believers from different places came together to stand for the 14 and call for their release. Belgrade, Serbia - 03.13.2026 Believers gathered in Belgrade, Serbia, during the gathering, and a prepared speech was delivered in Serbian in front of the embassy, making clear the central message of the day and calling for the freedom of the believers detained in Egypt because of their faith. Afterwards, the group of 9 continued together in a nearby park, maintaining the peaceful and respectful spirit of the gathering. The protest in Belgrade added another important voice to the growing international call being raised across multiple countries on the same day, as believers and supporters stood together for the 14 detained members in Egypt. Athens, Greece - 03.13.2026 The demonstration began immediately upon the group’s arrival at 2:00 p.m. . Participants stood in front of the Egyptian embassy building holding banners and photographs to raise awareness about the situation of the detained believers. During the protest, one of the organisers delivered a speech in Arabic, calling for the immediate release of the incarcerated innocent members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. Following this, another 3 protesters addressed the gathering in Azeri, speaking about arbitrary arrests and the suppression of religious freedom, while demanding justice and the release of the detainees. The group remained and continued the protest for two hours, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. , ensuring that their message was heard.  Warsaw, Poland - 03.13.2026 A total of 14 participants gathered outside the Egyptian Embassy in Warsaw for a peaceful demonstration that began at 11:40 a.m . As the group took their place, police officers and individuals connected to the embassy were seen taking photos and videos of the protesters. At around 12:00 p.m., one of the organisers addressed the crowd in Arabic, speaking about the detention of the 14 believers and calling for their release. This was followed by another protester, who also spoke in Arabic and highlighted the broader pattern of persecution faced by believers across Muslim countries since 2021. Later, another organiser delivered a speech in English, addressing the Egyptian Embassy directly and drawing attention to the case of the detained believers. He then gave another speech in Azeri, calling on the Azerbaijani government to stop the crimes and acts of terror committed against AROPL members in Azerbaijan. The protest also drew attention from the public; passing cars signaled in support as they went by, adding to the sense that the message was being seen and heard. Around 12:30 p.m. , an embassy representative was noticed filming or taking photos from inside the building on a mobile phone. The demonstration concluded at 1:00 p.m. , and the police thanked the participants for keeping the gathering peaceful and orderly. The protest in Warsaw became another clear sign that this issue is no longer hidden. Ontario, Canada - 03.13.2026 The global call for justice continued in Ontario, Canada, where believers and supporters gathered outside the Egyptian Embassy at around 11:00 a.m. to speak out for the 14. Coming together from north, south, east, and west, the group united with one purpose: to protest the oppression faced by believers who have been illegally imprisoned for almost a year in Egyptian prisons, held in barbaric conditions, and denied the ability to properly defend themselves. The Ansar were joined by a Twelver Shia who is not a member of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, but who came to stand in solidarity and to make a clear stand for human rights against injustice. Police were already present at the scene as the group arrived. Before beginning the protest, the believers stood together in a circle and made a prayer, asking God to speak through them and strengthen their message. They then began chanting and addressing the embassy directly with clear calls such as: “Let our people go!” “Faith is not a crime!” As the protest continued, the believers noticed the ambassador arriving in his car, which only strengthened their determination and resolve to make their message heard. Flyers were handed out to people entering and leaving the embassy, as well as to passersby in the area. The protest also drew reactions from the public, with some drivers passing by showing support with horns and thumbs up, while others responded differently. Through it all, the believers remained vocal and peaceful, continuing to chant “Allahu Akbar” (God is Great) and “Labbayk Ya Aba Al-Sadiq (At your service O Aba Al-Sadiq!).” Several people who received the flyers stopped to read them carefully. Some expressed immediate sympathy and concern, with one person reportedly saying: “Oh my God, it is Egypt — of course they do that. They do it all the time.” Others also showed visible signs of distress and support as they learned more about the case. Washington D.C., United States of America - 03.13.2026 Those gathered in Washington raised their voices not only to demand freedom for the detainees, but also to draw attention to what they described as the unlawful imprisonment and torture of the innocent members of their faith. Protesters stressed that these individuals have been held for nearly a year solely because of their religious beliefs and that their case must not be ignored. Embassy staff were present and observed the protest closely. The demonstration also drew attention from the surrounding neighbourhood, as chants and speeches could be heard beyond the immediate area of the embassy. Passersby stopped to watch, ask questions, and learn more about the case. The protest remained peaceful and orderly throughout, while carrying a strong sense of urgency. Participants kept the focus on the central demand of the day: freedom for the 14 imprisoned believers in Egypt. The gathering also served as a direct appeal to several bodies, including the Egyptian government, the United States Department of State, international human rights organisations, and the media, urging them to take meaningful action, investigate the case, and increase public awareness. Copenhagen, Denmark - 03.13.2026 The gathering began at 11:00 a.m. , with the police previously informed of the demonstration. Officers were present at the scene and allowed the group to stand a short distance from the embassy gate. During the protest, the believers spoke about how the issue has drawn international attention. They pointed out that the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has highlighted the case, placing the spotlight on the actions of the Egyptian authorities. Participants also shared that they had sent letters and emails to the embassy on behalf of the detained believers but had not yet received any response. At one point during the protest, an embassy staff member came outside and asked the demonstrators about the case. The believers took the opportunity to clearly explain the situation of the detainees and the reasons for their gathering. The protest continued with speeches and chants emphasizing that the detained believers have reportedly faced torture and persecution simply for following the same faith. Their message was delivered with tenacity  ensuring that those nearby could hear and understand the purpose of the gathering. The demonstration also attracted the attention of passersby. Several people stopped to watch and learn about the case, and many were moved by what they heard. In a particularly meaningful moment, one individual chose to pledge allegiance to Aba Al-Sadiq, expressing support for the cause and the principle of “Humanity Before Religion.” Mumbai, India - 03.13.2026 The protest began outside the consulate gate, where participants stood peacefully and raised their voices for justice. Speeches were then delivered, calling attention to the suffering of the detained believers and the urgent need for their release. After some time, consulate security approached the group and took 2 participants upstairs to the office. They asked why the protest was taking place and what was happening outside. According to those present, the staff recorded videos and appeared concerned by the demonstration. Around 15 to 20 minutes later, local police officers from the nearby police station arrived at the scene. The believers explained the reason for the protest clearly, after which the whole group was taken to the police station for further questioning. At the station, each participant was questioned individually. Officers asked about Aba Al-Sadiq, the motive behind the protest, and the purpose of the group’s mission. Personal details were also recorded. Later, the matter was referred to a senior IPS ( Indian Police Service)  officer, the DCP ( Deputy Commissioner of Police)  of Mumbai, who invited a few members into his office. He explained that he did not want to file a case against them, but was personally curious to know more about "Hashem". The believers then explained the call, the case of the AROPL members, and the mission and message of Aba Al-Sadiq. The discussion lasted for around 30 to 45 minutes. In the end, the officer expressed appreciation for their sincerity and said that they were not doing anything wrong. He advised them to continue to respect law and order, and afterwards, the group was released. Most importantly, the believers were told that their message had been clearly delivered to the Egyptian authorities present at the consulate. Jakarta, Indonesia - 03.13.2026 The demonstration in Jakarta began after participants first arrived at the station at 10:30 a.m., gathered at the assembly point at 11:00 a.m. , and then started the protest outside the embassy at 12:30 p.m. The action continued peacefully until 2:30 p.m. Participants carried posters and banners bearing the message #FreeAROPLMembers, along with statements declaring that faith should never be treated as a crime. Through speeches and a solidarity statement, they called attention to the detention of the AROPL members in Egypt and the wider issue of religious freedom. During the protest, it was also emphasized that the case has drawn concern internationally, with various organizations highlighting it as part of the broader issue of violations of religious freedom. Participants noted that the #FreeAROPLMembers campaign has gained increasing attention since late 2025, with support from activists, public figures, and international media. In addition to demanding the release of the detained believers, the protesters also called for an independent investigation into reports of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and inhumane treatment said to have taken place during their imprisonment. The event remained calm and orderly throughout, with participants using the opportunity to make their message heard clearly and respectfully. Their hope was that public awareness and international attention would help encourage concrete steps to protect religious freedom and uphold the human rights of all people without discrimination. In conclusion, the 13th of March or 03.13.2026 was a resounding success. The Egyptian embassies in multiple parts of the world were confronted with the peaceful energy of focused love for freedom of belief which has never been seen before. More significantly, the Riser from the Family of Mohammed, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq showed that a truly Divinely appointed leader and righteous shepherd stands with his people and does not abandon them when their situation is difficult. He stood firm with his companions raising his voice in the face of tyrannical oppression and the Earth trembled in their presence.

The notoriety of the oppression enacted by the tyrannical regime in Iran since the inception of the so-called Islamic Republic is well-founded and widely documented. The methods of coercion and intimidation employed by the government through its various forces, crowned especially by the infamous Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), include all forms of torture, whether physical or psychological, and topped with execution. Any political opposition is met with an iron fist and this extends to anything that is deemed a threat by the religious authority headed by the supreme leader, who leads the country, giving himself the title of “Ayatollah Al-Udhma,” meaning the Grand Sign of Allah before taking this position of leadership. The incidents suffered by the believers in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light of Iranian heritage within the country and abroad have been recorded extensively over the years and continue to be reported on. These crimes against humanity must be answered to, and the perpetrators should never be allowed to escape accountability for the roles they played in enacting such heinous acts. The Divine Just State magazine sat with Zahra Shekariyan Asl, a qualified and published nurse from Iran, to get details of her experiences and struggles, including the recent disappearance of her brother, Mohammadreza Shekariyan Asl, who has not been missing since the 23rd of September. Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you, dear Zahra. Many Ansar around the world have heard about you because of the heartbreaking painting that you made, which depicts the head of Imam Al-Hussein on the spear in the hand of the cursed Shimr ibn Dhil Jawshan. We want to highlight your journey to the Qaim. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. And peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.  I am the youngest of three siblings in a Twelver Shia family from Tehran. My sister is a single mother, graphics graduate, and tailor. My brother Mohammadreza, a devoted believer and a filmmaking graduate, and back then was a filmmaker, actor, and camera assistant. I am a nurse with a published study in PubMed , I was a co-author for it. I was practicing my religion properly from A-Z according to what Twelver Shias believe, from praying to fasting, to wearing a proper hijab, to believing in all that comes with the faith. The only thing was that my family, who are religious, and I were not really followers of the regime in Iran. We believed that Imam Mohammed Al-Mahdi is in occultation, yet we were questioning Velayat-e Faqih ( Rule of the Jurisprudent) : how can scholars claim contact with him when their actions and treatment of people don't reflect the Ahlul-Bayt at all? At age six, I lost my dad, Mohammad Hassan. He crashed his motorcycle in an unmarked massive pothole at night; another rider collided, causing my father fatal brain injuries. The ambulance took 45 minutes to arrive at the scene, which was too late. His body laid neglected on the street. The well-connected other rider (family in the judiciary) faced no jail; the court first blamed my dad 100%. My mother fought again after a guiding dream, winning 50/50 fault and being awarded diya (blood money) from the other rider. We grew up orphaned; my mother cleaned houses to survive, and spent weekends at his grave. One preventable failure took him; the system's failures took our childhood. Mohammadreza (Left) with his sister Zahra (Right) So how did you get to know about this call? I was always looking for the truth, where to find it and with whom it is. From the age of nine years, I wore Hijab, prayed and fasted. At school, they told us that we had to choose a Marja Al-Taqlid (imitation of scholars), a Grand Ayatollah who acts as a "source of emulation";  a religious authority whose rulings on Islamic law (Sharia) we must follow, if we ourselves are not capable of independent legal reasoning (ijtihad). There were dozens of them to choose from, and the rule was clear: we should select the most learned and righteous among them. I remember feeling overwhelmed with sadness and doubt. How was a child like me supposed to know which one was truly the best, the one with the fewest flaws? How could I possibly trust any of them? Who had granted them this authority? Who had truly recognized them as righteous? What makes a person more qualified than the other?  So I prayed to Imam Mahdi, the Imam of the Time, and begged him to make me understand why he himself is not coming out; and why we had to follow and emulate these people whom we know nothing about. My brother, Mohammadreza, became very involved with local mosques during his teenage years. He even joined the Basij (an Iranian paramilitary militia) for a while. However, when he realised that they were hypocritical and full of corruption, he left the Basij and stopped caring about religion altogether, including the obligatory acts. He was deeply disappointed by the behaviour of the so-called guardians of God’s religion. He then entered the field of cinema after studying filmmaking at the University of Applied Science and Technology (UAST), Culture and Arts faculty, in Tehran. After graduating he made a few short films and also acted in some TV productions and short movies. One of the short films he appeared in even won a prize at international festivals. He also worked behind the scenes as an assistant and performed in theatre. He was considered good-looking, talented, hardworking, and trustworthy. He cared about humanity, but he also believed that there was no longer any humanity in religion. Unfortunately, the cinema industry in Iran is also full of corruption. The more money you have and the better your connections, the more successful you become in your career. This is true for most fields; in fact, I would say all of them. As a result, he became depressed and stopped working with any institution or organisation. At one point, he became so desperate that he even considered suicide. However, he asked himself: what if there is a God and an afterlife? What if the Imam of the time is out there somewhere? So he began to search. He believed there must be a sign of him. He reasoned that if there are false claimants to being the Imam of the time, then there must also be a true one. But where was he, and why was he silent? Suddenly, he came across a sermon of Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan online in late 2017. As soon as he heard his voice, he believed he was truthful. He saw him as a brave man who stood against the Hawza and the scholars, and this astonished my brother. He noticed that the people who were talking about Ahmed Al-Hassan were referred to as the Black Banners of the East. As soon as he heard the name Abdullah Hashem, he said, “That’s it.” He had already watched The Arrivals before; he had actually shown it to me at the time, we were both fascinated by it back then and we began to question everything. How could it be that everything we once believed was good was actually bad and a part of Freemasonry? A country that is considered the center of Shiism seemed to be full of Masonic symbols. The logos of our TV channels appeared to display the “one eye.” The Islamic council building resembled a pyramid. The most shocking thing I heard was a narration claiming that any Islamic state before the Mahdi’s emergence is false, and that the Mahdi’s top enemies are the scholars. We were amazed that the person who presented and spread these ideas was himself a Muslim. We became very eager to learn more: Who is Abdullah Hashem? How had we never heard these narrations before? It felt as though there must be some kind of hidden truth or conspiracy. Eventually, my brother found Abdullah Hashem, the creator of The Arrivals and TADs. He contacted the Ansar of Imam Mahdi through Paltalk and said that he wanted to pledge allegiance. This was around the end of February 2018. After that, he began speaking to us about the Yamani and informing us about Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan. He referred to him as an Imam. For us, there were only twelve Imams - how could there be another one? In Iran, they have done something similar with Khomeini and Khamenei, calling them “Imam.” I always found it disturbing to hear people sending loud salawat after hearing Khamenei’s name, yet saying nothing after hearing the name of Imam Mahdi. So, it felt like a sin even to consider adding someone to the line of succession of the Ahlul-Bayt. He explained that the lineage did not stop with the Twelfth Imam and that there are actually twelve Mahdis after him, according to the Will of Prophet Mohammed. Then he showed me The Black Banners of the East channel, and we spent a lot of time going through the videos and books in detail. He told me that we do not need to rely on scholars, but should instead research for ourselves. The situation in Iran is not hopeful; on the contrary, people are very depressed and their standard of living is low. Bombings occur, buildings collapse, airplanes crash, and many other tragic events happen within the country. I was successful in my education and career, but deep down I knew that something was missing, and I felt depressed. I was working as a nursing student in hospitals, and I witnessed how badly patients were treated. Poor people would come from far away to Tehran, to the so-called Imam Khomeini Hospital, where I worked at the time, hoping to find a cure for their sick children. Unfortunately, many of them found no treatment. They had to spend months living in tents around the hospital, even sleeping on the streets, just to receive care for their innocent children. I began to feel that the medical system was not treating people, but rather helping them die faster. There was an infamous case of a nurse who removed the stitches from a child’s head shortly after they had been applied because the family did not have enough money to pay. The doctor had instructed the nurse to remove the stitches immediately. The head of our university used to tell us that her father‑in‑law had gone blind in one of the well‑known hospitals in Tehran because a doctor was trying out a new medication, he was using patients as test cases in his trials without their consent or them being aware. I personally withdrew from receiving any medication because of the cruelty and dishonesty I witnessed in the system. After COVID-19, I started to believe that it was a punishment for the healthcare system because of its cruelty - treating sick people as a business and a source of money rather than as human beings. I witnessed these things with my own eyes. I became deeply regretful for becoming a nurse and I wanted to quit. As a side note, before we continue the journey, I would also like to mention that the “Medicine of the Mahdis” was, for me, one of the strongest proofs of the truthfulness of Aba Al-Sadiq. Thank God, the cure has been placed in nature itself, not in the hands of the tyrants. So all of this led me to question the purpose of life - what is the point of studying, working, getting married, and living at all? I noticed how alive my brother felt from within, so I asked him to help me find the purpose of my own life. He told me to listen to the voice of Ahmed Al-Hassan, particularly his sermon about meeting the Twelfth Imam. What he was saying was very different from anything I had heard before. He also spoke about the corruption within the Hawzas and how the original message of Prophet Mhoammed had been distorted. The sayings of the Imams began to make sense to me, especially when I looked around at what was happening in Iran. I began watching the initial videos produced by the Black Banners of the East channel. The knowledge about Raj’a (reincarnation) fascinated me - knowledge that was already present in Shia books but that we had never heard before. Everything made sense. Suddenly, Islam transformed from being a dead religion into something vibrant and alive. My brother told me that if I wanted to know the truth about this Dawah (Call), I should ask God directly for a sign. I did, and shortly after, I received one. I performed two rakat and opened the Qur’an. I asked God, “Is this religion truly upon the truth?” The verse that came to me shocked me. I had read the Qur’an hundreds of times in my life, but that was the first time in my life I felt as if the verse was speaking directly to me. It was verse 24 from Surah Al-Anfal: "O believers! Respond to Allah and His Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah stands between a person and their heart, and that to Him you will all be gathered." I was astonished. The only person I knew who called people with this message of awakening was Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan, who said, “Wake up, O sleepers; wake up, O dead.” I realized then that he was the one bringing life to me, and that I should respond to him and believe in him. I came to believe, and we sent a video of our pledge of allegiance to Aba Al-Sadiq. We began watching the satellite channel and started contributing through activities such as translation work and dubbing documentaries to make materials accessible for Persian-speaking people both inside and outside of Iran. Thank you very much Zahra, let us get back to you and your brother's story of being a believer in Iran. We were over the moon with joy, but my family did not understand us at first. My mother, who initially was not a believer, saw the profound change in my brother’s morals, manners and character. Witnessing the man he had become, she realized that this religion must be true, and she pledged allegiance as well. My nephew, still a child of eight years old at the time, also sensed the truthfulness of this call and became a believer - but not his parents. We began to spread the call. My brother, especially, seized every opportunity to share the message of Imam Mahdi with strangers, relatives and friends. He carried this message to many people, and some of them remain devoted to it. For example, Mansour - who my brother met during exile - heard about Imam Mahdi from him and came to believe. After we started to spread the call, our family and relatives began speaking badly about us. They mocked us, especially my brother. According to them, he had turned from a good, respectable man into a “crazy person” in need of mental care. Initially, we were a group of five or six on WhatsApp, and our bishop was brother Hamidreza. He used to share the teachings of Aba Al-Sadiq with us and served as our connection to him. Over time, our group grew, and we began meeting in person. We gathered at our house, coming from different cities. Those were moments I will never forget - we met our true family, our soul family. You were becoming successful in spreading the call. How did you attract the attention of the authorities? We had a telegram group where we were active in spreading the call. A couple of people entered and one of them was a woman my brother was supposed to marry by the name of Ruqayah. She came from an Iraqi family and her father was one the guardians of one of the biggest Husseiniyas (shia place of worship) in Teheran . She gathered some people that proclaimed faith. She herself wrote books promoting Ahmed Al-Hassan, Aba Al-Sadiq and the Dawah. As soon as Ruqayah heard that we were ready to make Hijrah (migrate), we later found out that she had informed the officials of the clerics, including the local police, about it, and as a result, they stormed our house in February 2020. They abducted my brother and we had no idea where he was until, eventually, he called us and informed us that they had locked him up in the notorious Evin prison  of Tehran. Six or seven agents came to our home at 6:00 AM and took him away, claiming that he had committed murder, without providing any further explanation. They also searched our house. My nephew, who was ten years old at the time, was quivering with fear. He was crying and asking them where they were taking his uncle. They even took the building’s CCTV footage to erase any record of themselves. The family applied a lot of pressure on us and expressed their anger because they felt as if we had put them in danger by believing in “this nonsense”. My brother told us later that officials had gathered information about this call in detail, especially about the Persian-speaking Ansar who were in charge over the activities of spreading the call, and particularly about Hamidreza Saghari, who is the responsible bishop of Iran for the Religion. Their source of information were Ruqayah  and these so-called believers that she had brought, they had been spying on us. Please let us pause here for a minute, and give the reader a little more of an insight into what it is like to grow up in Iran from a religious point of view. If you had to describe your impression of your surroundings, what is it that an Iranian is faced with? If you grew up in Iran, you're familiar with the phrase: "Allahu Akbar, janam faday-e rahbar" (which translates to English as "God is greater; I sacrifice my life for the Leader”). But the real question that haunted me was: which leader truly deserves such sacrifice? As a child, I knew only one leader - the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei. That was it. As I grew older, these questions never left my mind. I had always imagined a true leader in the image of Imam Ali. Many people believe Khamenei resembles Imam Ali, even pointing to the shared name "Ali" as a sign. But I remembered the saying of the Prophet of Islam that in the end times, nothing will remain of Islam except its name, and nothing of the Qur’an except its script. I came to feel that this applied perfectly to him: he is "Ali" only on paper. I could never see his words or actions aligning with those of the Prince of the Believers, Ali ibn Abi Talib. At school, they taught us that Khomeini was like the Prophet Mohammed and Khamenei was like Imam Ali. They warned that if we didn’t accept the wilayah (guardianship) of Ali Khamenei, we would burn in hellfire. If we didn’t vote in elections, we’d go to hell too, because by not choosing “the righteous leader,” we’d let evil prevail. They said if a woman didn’t wear a hijab, God would hang her by her hair in hell. If we listened to music or danced, we would be turned into monkeys. Imagine a child’s mind - like a sponge - absorbing all this fear and nonsense as truth. What kind of God could that child possibly expect, except one who is harsh, punitive, and always waiting to torment rather than guide with mercy? Imagine a country with around 80,000 mosques, hundreds of hawzas, and nearly 9,000 holy shrines and mausoleums - these are not even exact numbers. In a land so saturated with the outward symbols of faith, practicing true Islam should be effortless. It should be the most fertile ground on earth for Imam Mahdi to establish his Divine Just State. The people living there should be the most blessed and fortunate on the planet. Yet the painful reality is the exact opposite.  My own aunt was also a victim of this regime. She was imprisoned, forced to divorce her domineering husband (who worked for the IRGC and was involved in various illegal activities) while still behind bars. She was denied permission to see her four young children or even to breastfeed her newborn baby. This is not an isolated story, but an example of the harsh realities I've witnessed among my own family and close friends. For example, I know a woman who, driven by extreme poverty, had to sell her newborn baby. I know another woman who was murdered, along with her young son, by her drug-addicted husband. I also know a woman who turned to selling her body just to survive. Another woman I know, had to live in hiding with her children because her husband, deep in debt, became a fugitive. I know children who were forced to work on the streets until midnight to provide for their families. I knew young people who ended their own lives due to crushing depression, joblessness, or being banned from traveling abroad. My own family member attempted suicide multiple times. In those dark times, we still had a home, and my mother, along with my brother especially, would do everything possible to shelter and help these people. The version of Islam practiced in today’s Iran feels exactly identical to the Islam of Muawiya’s era. The same old tricks are being used: religion is wielded as a tool of power, justice is inverted, and the pulpit is exploited to silence truth. History is repeating itself. And tragically, figures who bear the likeness of Muawiya and Yazid in spirit have ended up as the supreme leaders of this land. I’ve come to believe that the truest way to know someone, or a system, is by their actions, not their words or symbols.  Jesus said: "By their fruits you shall know them."  Yes exactly, they name everything after the Ahlul-Bayt. We drive on the Imam Ali Highway, pass through Imam Hussein Square, turn at Fatemi Square and walk down Vali-e Asr Avenue. Beautiful names, holy names, everywhere you look, as if just saying those names is enough to make the land sacred. But when I look closer, it feels like we’ve stopped at the naming. The names are everywhere, but the spirit feels far away. It breaks my heart every time I remember the streets with the names of the Imams in Tehran - seeing seven or eight-year-old girls selling flowers just to survive. I used to stop and talk to them, buy them food, bring them warm clothes... But how many could I truly help on my own? How many hungry men could I feed as they rummaged through trash bins for scraps? One of those little girls even asked me innocently if the Imam of the Time is still alive and watching over us. Her question pierced me - how do you explain such suffering to a child who believes in divine justice, yet sees none around her? Iran has around 90 million people, and the majority live below the poverty line. It still brings tears to my eyes; the innocence stolen, the dignity crushed. No child should have to beg or sell on the streets to eat. No one should dive into garbage for food. This level of widespread despair is heartbreaking beyond words. It’s a truly disturbing reality. You mentioned the hijab being obligatory earlier according to what you were taught in school, how did you feel when you learned that it was never an obligation from God? I remember coming home from university when my brother excitedly told me, “Guess what? The hijab is not an obligation in Islam.” I immediately recorded a testimony video for Aba Al-Sadiq, saying that I had heard and would obey, though I never managed to send it. For safety reasons, we were told that we could not remove it while in Iran, because these murderers would not have allowed us to live. The whole world knows the story of Mahsa Amini and others like her. So I patiently continued wearing it. Unfortunately, in Iran, most followers of Khamenei wear the hijab fully. I wore it only because I thought God required it, but when I learned that it was not from God, I was more than happy to remove it. The first time I truly experienced life without the hijab was when I went to the UAE. It was July, the hottest month of the year, but for me it felt like the coolest month, as I could feel the breeze in my hair after wearing the hijab for 20 years. I felt so blessed. The same joy came when I learned that the Kaaba is not in Mecca, but in Petra. We were overjoyed to know that we could pray towards the true House of God, not the Saudi version. We actually began directing our prayers toward Petra, though we were later advised not to since we could have been arrested. What did all of this result in, what was your reaction to it? There were groups of Ansar in Iran that we were in contact with, who we were socialising with and gathering with on special occasions, like on Aba Al-Sadiq's birthday, the 27th of July; or on the anniversary of the death of King Abdullah of Hijaz, the 23rd of January. All of our activities, which were either face-to-face or on social media, had to be cancelled to ensure our survival and we practiced our belief in hiding. We were practicing taqiyah (dissimulation). We were forced to cut off all our contact with any Ansar and delete anything related to the religion that we had, whether in electronic files or printed form. Next to my brother, they had locked up a couple of other people too. My brother had to deny the religion and my mother had to pay bail for my brother to be released. Even then they sent him to an exile area where he could not leave the village that he stayed in. A village where the Iranian government would keep cases like my brother away from the daily affairs of the country, many people in that mountainous area were either guards or people that the government exiled. During this time, I made Hijrah, got married and reached the place that I am in now; a place of safety and freedom under the wing of Aba Al-Sadiq. I had to leave my brother behind, even though I did not want to; he started me on my journey and could not accompany me at this stage. We are so happy for you that you are safe and that you are with us. I bet it was not difficult to leave Iran behind if the situation was as tense as you explained. The government seems to have a big issue with religion and generally with anyone who is promoting a different ideology to what the state of Iran promotes. Basically, everything we practice goes against their interests and teachings and would cause their system to collapse. I used to hear mullahs (religious teachers) on the street say that they do not want Imam Mahdi to emerge, because it would mean they would have to hand over the country to him, along with all the money from Khums and Zakat. All those palaces and castles they had built out of gold for their scholars would be taken from them. They are the top enemies of the Mahdi. For all these years, they have been the only ones believed to represent a Mahdi’s state. They have called themselves the successors of Imam Mahdi and they publicly declare “May Allah hasten his reappearance”, implying that Imam Mahdi is in direct contact with them. This means that whatever they do and whatever they say is supposedly what Imam Mahdi commands. Look at the hypocrisy of this regime. At the time when Aba Al-Sadiq produced The Arrivals,  they interviewed him on national TV and acknowledged both him and his work . But as soon as he released The Arrived, in which he spoke about the emergence of Imam Mahdi and the Yamani, he was declared a heretic and his blood was made halal (permissible). These people had already decided who would be their Imam Mahdi and their Yamani. However, through the teachings of Aba Al-Sadiq and Ahlul-Bayt, we know that history repeats itself. When we go back to the time of Prophet Mohammed, when he sent letters to the rulers of other nations, what did the king of Persia, Khosrow, do? He tore up the letter, ignored the message, and tried to conceal the truth from his people. The same thing is happening today. When Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan sent a letter to the former Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, he ignored it and ordered his assassination. He commanded Iran's intelligence services, with the help of the Iraqis, to usurp the call of the Imam and to assassinate him; and to target his Ansar by any means possible, including infiltration of any groups, online or otherwise. Today, they have done the same to the son and successor of Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan, Aba Al-Sadiq. They have infiltrated the community of the Ansar of the Imam, claiming to be believers, imprisoned them, tortured them, caused them to lose their families and children, and forced them to become refugees and strangers in foreign lands like Turkey. They did not stop there; they produced filthy, false documentaries against the Qaim of the Family of Mohammed and the Yamani of the Family of Mohammed. They even made cakes with images of the Imam's head, cut them on television, and ate them. How vile are their actions! They continue this assault by broadcasting documentaries, sermons and publishing books specifically aimed at defaming and discrediting the call of the Mahdi Aba Al-Sadiq, portraying his followers as heretics, agents of foreign powers, or threats to the state, all while framing the movement as deviant to suppress the truth. They have forced false testimonies from prisoners to that aim. They have even issued fatwas against the Imam. This is well-known from the public statement of Khomeini, where he declared that "Preserving the Islamic Republic is more important than preserving any single individual, even if that individual is the Imam of the Time." Subhanallah (Glory be to God), we see in the narrations of the Ahlul-Bayt that the clear enemies of the Qaim are Arabs and Persians. This enmity is a fulfillment of prophecies from the Family of Mohammed. So how did the story of your brother continue, what did he do after you had left Iran? As I mentioned earlier, it seems that there was a conspiracy to have him imprisoned, and Ruqaya was instrumental to that aim. Her father, Abdulamir Fouladzadeh Karbalai, as one of the guardians of the Husseiniya in Tehran , Karbalaeeha Husaineeyais (Tehran) , was very well connected to high ranking officials within the government and the religious authorities including the Special Clerical Courts  (the records of which are not generally made public). It is usually this branch of the legal system which enacts rulings and actions against those deemed deviant or deserving of investigation. The Special Clerical Court had issued the verdict which put my brother in Evin prison. They also ruled that he remain in exile for twenty-four months. Hence, they had banned him from leaving the village he stayed in, he could not just get up and cross the border. Once his time in exile was over, the Ansar started to gather again, this time a bit more discreetly and carefully, out of fear of the officials in Iran. So they drafted up a plan to cross the border by foot, but to get close to the Turkish border, they had to rent a tourist bus and then finally get into four taxis that would transport them as close as possible to the border. Someone had reported the fifteen people to the officials, which led to a horrible raid by heavily armed men that fired gunshots to stop the taxis; they treated them like they deserved to die, for nothing more than believing in this religion, hence the crossing of the border did not happen. The police officers searched their belongings and kept them outside in cold weather. They beat up my brother very badly and they threw his body and head aggressively against the car and punched him in his face several times where one of his teeth fell out. They kept the fifteen of them in a detention centre for three days until they imprisoned all of them, including women and children, in the Evin prison. During interrogation, they tortured them. According to what the Ansar said, it was so scary how they treated them, that even other inmates got scared to the point that they told the Ansar to give in and work with the officials. Under the beating, they tried to force the Ansar to write signed confessions that stated that Abdullah Hashem had commanded them to commit adultery and homosexuality, which are considered heavy crimes by the state of Iran. One of the members was threatened with a razor on his tongue and they actually cut into it to make him talk because he tried to remain silent. Getting shouted at and beaten became routine to the Ansar. They found themselves in Solitary confinement, where they had no idea what happened to the others. The crying of one of the Ansari sisters had filled the hallways as she was threatened with raped by the prison guards where one of them turned around and said “I don’t find her attractive”.  Alireza Gol Mohammad’s wife was threatened with execution if she did not divorce him instantly, which she did. They stayed there for several months until they were finally released on bail until their trial date. Each time the Ansar were forced to pay bail, the sum was approximately $15,000. My brother’s bail, at this time, was equal to $118,259. These are Horror stories that make the blood freeze in a man's veins and we can only imagine what other atrocities are happening in the dungeons of Iran. It is horrible, Iran has no respect for human beings, it has nothing to do with the teachings of Ahlul-Bayt and can’t even be considered animalistic. No animal would do that to another animal. They are monsters. The evidence is available online. People can go and investigate the crimes and killings carried out by the so-called Islamic Republic of Iran from the first day they came to power until now. I do not have to prove anything. There are countless voices out there who have suffered under this regime. This is all public knowledge. The stories which are kept secret are much, much worse. They have said on their own TV channels that they are systematically producing lies. They themselves have made these claims. And they announced that anyone who is not happy with them should leave the country. But the question is: how? No one grants us asylum, and they do not even issue us passports. I had to leave my country without saying goodbye to my family. I left out of fear that someone would stop me or ban me from travelling. Absolutely. When my brother was imprisoned for the second time in Iran, he shared a cell with a man named Santiago Sánchez, a Spanish tourist. Santiago had been mistakenly arrested by Iranian intelligence during the Mahsa Amini protests and held in Evin Prison for a full year. He hadn’t even been able to inform anyone that he was imprisoned in Iran. In his own words, he had reached such despair that he no longer wanted to carry on living; that is, until he met my brother, whom he described as an angel who gave him hope. With my brother’s help by contacting our mother, Santiago was able to get word to the Spanish embassy about his situation, which paved the way for his release. Santiago never forgot my brother. He even went on to write a book detailing his 15 months behind bars in Iran -  titled “Cómo Sobreviví 15 Meses Entre Rejas”  ("How I Survived 15 Months Behind Bars"). In it, he spoke about my brother, describing him as an angel, the person who gave him hope and literally helped save his life during that dark time. Wow, Maybe we can highlight that Topic at a different point in time, but let us continue with what had actually happened to your brother. They did not want to wait for the trial to come up. My brother and one of the believers successfully crossed the border, where they were caught again, but this time by the Turkish officials. They spent a whole year in prison in Turkey, where they were treated badly too, but it was not comparable with the cruel torture that they had endured in Evin prison. The reason for their imprisonment was illegally crossing the border without having a passport or papers. After being held in a detention center in Turkey for a full year, my brother began working as a dishwasher in a small restaurant. Mohammadreza working in a restaurant Later, he spent several months as a construction labourer, helping to complete unfinished buildings. With living costs so high and wages so low, he was forced to sleep inside those very same half-built structures; he didn’t even have anywhere to bathe. He would send me videos showing the place he was staying and the sites where he worked. His sole hope was to gather enough money for the trip so he could make his way toward the Qaim and continue his Hijra. Every bit of pay he received would be split: some went toward his immediate necessities, and the remainder he carefully set aside as savings. Mohammadreza working in a construction He got in touch, through a friend, with someone familiar inside the Iranian embassy, thinking this would finally allow him to renew his expired passport. Since he had escaped from Iran without permission, that contact in the embassy extorted a huge amount of money from him, promising to handle everything smoothly and without issues. In the end, though, the man took the cash and vanished, leaving my brother stranded without a passport. The officials in Iran are still contacting my mother and asking about him, sending letters to the house to summon him to court. They even stopped my mother on the border to Turkey, saying that she wants to go to see her son. They interrogated her, before they let her go. When I speak to her on the phone, she is even scared to say my brother’s name or Aba Al Sadiq’s name, she speaks about them using nicknames that we agreed upon. That’s the extent of fear that my mother has when it comes to the Dawah inside Iran. My brother did not really feel safe in Turkey either. The Turkish government would deport refugees from all the neighbouring countries on regular basis, my brother was living in fear from the government of Iran which would very likely execute him this time if they would get a hold of him. So he tried to get out of Turkey by any means. Sibling of Zahra and Mohammadreza (Left), Zahra (Middle), Mohammadreza (Right) Mohammadreza suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, and every so often, his knee would swell up painfully; he had to have the fluid drained from i t. This photo is from 2017, b ack when I was a nursing student working at Loqman Hospital in Tehran. My brother was admitted to the men's internal medicine ward at the time.  The harsh conditions of his imprisonment, combined with two full years of internal exile in one of Iran's coldest cities, severely aggravated his already fragile health. The extreme cold, poor living conditions, and lack of proper medical care took a heavy toll on his rheumatoid arthritis and overall well-being. Before being exiled, he was detained for a month in one of the worst camps in Iran, located in the village of Mehraban in East Azerbaijan Province. He was eventually released after paying money. During his time in the camp, he was humiliated, and his hair and beard were completely shaved off. Mohammadreza living in exile We know that your brother disappeared around six months ago. How did that happen? Knowing about his difficult circumstances in Turkey, Santiago offered to help Mohammadreza if he could find any way to reach Greece. After some research and inquiries, my brother discovered a route to leave Turkey. The only thing he told me was that he was heading to Greece — but he didn’t explain how or by what means. The last time I spoke with him was on the 23rd of September, 2025. Last photo of Mohammadreza before setting off on his journey He promised he would contact me again, but I never heard from him. He went offline after that and has remained unreachable ever since. After about a week, a man contacted us, saying he had been a companion of Mohammadreza's on the journey. He claimed they had gotten separated, and that he had lost Mohammadreza in the Evros River, the last known spot where he was seen was in that very river, right along the Turkey-Greece border. Only God knows what fate befell him. We tried to hire lawyers in both Turkey and Greece to search for him, but they found no trace. A few weeks later, the Turkish lawyer called and said a body had been recovered from the river. They needed a family member to go there and provide a DNA sample because the body was unrecognizable. I had no choice but to break this news to my mother and ask her to travel to Turkey. Deep down, I clung to the hope that it wasn’t my brother’s body. I kept thinking of his smile, his innocent eyes full of kindness, and I couldn’t hold back my tears. Yet I had to stay strong in front of my mother and show her that we had to be resilient. I wanted to share this news with Father Aba Al-Sadiq and ask for his prayers. In the basilica of Aba al-Sadiq, there is a Qur’an placed on the table next to his chair. Without hesitation, I picked it up and asked God to speak to me through it. The verses that opened were about Prophet Moses asking God to send his brother Aaron with him, and God accepted. I understood it as a sign that God intended to return my brother to me. And praise be to God, thanks to the prayers of Father Aba Al-Sadiq, before my mother even gave the DNA sample, they determined that the body was not my brother’s. If it weren’t for Aba Al-Sadiq, I’m certain I wouldn’t have been able to stay strong. He taught me to always think well of God. He told me that my brother is a warrior and a soldier [of faith], and that God never forgets His friends. These days, all that's physically left of my brother are two simple things: his phone number, which I dial over and over, clinging to the faint chance that one day someone will pick up and give me news; and the hat he once gave to one of the Ansar in Turkey, a kind person who later brought it to me as a keepsake. I hold onto these remnants tightly because they are the last tangible pieces of him I have. During their time in the Turkish detention center, my brother shared a special moment with one of the Ansar: together, they sketched out a makeshift British ID card by hand. It was a small act of imagination and defiance, a symbol of their shared hope that someday they might make it to the UK and find their way to the Qaim. They clung to that dream amid the uncertainty and hardship. Sketched out British ID cards along with a piece of the shirt of Aba Al-Sadiq In the photo, what you're looking at is a fragment of the shirt from Yusef of Ale Mohammed (Joseph of the Family of Mohammed), which he sent to the believers in Turkey. They carefully divided it into small pieces, each one treasuring their share as a sacred reminder. Their deepest hope was to one day stand before him face-to-face, and when that day comes, every suffering, every trial of their long migration, would simply fade away in the joy of reunion. This is only a small glimpse into my brother’s story. He never burdened me with the full details of his hardships. Instead, he simply taught me that we have a true leader, a father, and a shepherd who would never forget even one of his flock or his children. And indeed, he has never forgotten any of his Ansar, not even for a single moment. That is why he is now making our stories known to the world. He has given us a voice—a voice I could never have used freely in my own country. We are deeply disturbed about the disappearance of your brother and wish that he will appear sooner rather than later. Is there anything else you want to add and say to the people? The people really need to understand that Iran is a criminal country with a demonic government that has nothing to do with Ahlul-Bayt, they are deceptive, cruel and full of hypocrisy in every sense. Our blessed call sup the belief of “Humanity first”, meaning that you have to be a human being in the first place before being a believer in any religion. Our people did no harm to anybody, but they were oppressed wherever they turned; and in the first place, they believe in the Will of the Prophet Mohammed, which shows clearly that Iran is out to hunt our people down for a belief that should actually be upheld by anyone that believes in Islam. The reality is far from that. All my brother wanted was to practice his religion and that seemed to be a worse crime than anything else for the inhumane Republic of Iran. I am very happy that I am with the Qaim and that I am safe. I am able to share my art in the service of this religion. But I am deeply sad about what happened to my brother and all the other Ansar, may they all be released one day from this prison that the Mullahs had built.  Thank you very much Zahra for sharing all of this with us. We hope that we hear from your brother soon and that your wish for the Iranian people comes true. Thank you. The news of Khamenei’s death was one of the best pieces of news I have ever heard. He is the reason my brother disappeared. He was a killer, an oppressor, godless; a wolf in sheep’s clothing who usurped the call of Imam Mahdi. He was the same person who, when he was being chosen as leader after Khomeini, said, “One really must weep tears of blood for an Islamic society in which even the possibility [of leadership] of someone like me is raised…” . The situation of the Ansar in Iran is not good at all. Their money has been stolen, and their lives are in extreme danger. Right now the country is under bombardment and I don't know what will happen to my family. I wish there were a way to save all of them from the hell that Iran has become.  There is no other way to save Iran. Iran has been reduced to ruins. A country that once claimed to be the center of the appearance of Imam Mahdi never truly understood him; instead, it opposed him and sought to kill him.

Every year, a familiar announcement echoes through the mosques: “Ramadan has begun.” Or so we are told. And each year, the month of Ramadan starts not in unity, but in division that begins long before the first iftar (breaking of fast). Endless disputes divide the Muslim Ummah (community) from the beginning, with no clear consensus on which day Ramadan truly begins, which day it ends, or even which night is Laylatul Qadr (the Night of Power), leaving most in confusion over moon sightings, calculations, and old traditions.  Amid this chaos, comes an awakening message. Imam Al-Mahdi sends a timely and thought-provoking gift to the Muslims. It is a message that confronts what generations of rulers and scholars desperately tried to bury and declares outright that any fasts, prayers, and worship are rejected by God. Through Aba al‑Sadiq revealing the Ahlul-Bayt's true story in the Museum of Mohammed and his Household, we start to grasp how much of the Prophet’s family’s story has been deliberately suppressed.  One of the latest videos, titled A Ramadan Gift from Imam Al-Mahdi to the Muslims , unveils an intense painting, that of the severed head of Imam Al-Hussein, the Prophet's beloved grandson. This iconic image of Muslim treachery shows Al-Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet, the child once kissed on the Prophet’s lap, the one about whom he said, “Al-Hussein is from me and I am from Al-Hussein,” raised high on a spear. And beneath that head stands Shimr, gripping the spear. The murderer of the Prophet’s beloved grandson, holding the Prophet's sacred blood as his conquered trophy. The image is a window into the exact moment Islam betrayed its own heart. Notably, the Qur’an records a single, simple request that was made of the Muslims. The Messenger of God is told to say that he asks no payment for conveying Islam except one thing: love for his near relatives. “Say: I do not ask you any reward for this except love for my near relatives.” (Qur’an, Chapter 42 (Al-Shura), Verse 23) The Prophet of Islam endured countless trials for the sake of this religion, yet when it comes to payment, his only “wage” is that his community loves his family. The men who killed Al-Hussein did not come from outside Islam. Adding to the tragedy, the atrocity was not the work of outsiders or enemies; it is the story of what Muslims did to the Prophet’s own household. They prayed, fasted, and then slaughtered the Prophet’s grandson, mutilated his body, and carried his head from city to city on a spear. The rulers that followed, rather than address and seek to rectify it, continued the oppression. They decided which events would be remembered and which would remain in the dark. They funded scholars who would argue endlessly about minor issues, while keeping the blood of the Prophet’s family quietly buried. So scholars argued over graves while Yazid's shadow loomed, unchallenged and largely untouched. The scholars write volumes on whether a statue is permissible, yet have only cautious words to say about Yazid and those with him, as though the dignity of tyrants deserves more protection than the dignity of the Prophet’s grandchildren. This is probably why the newly unveiled portrait of Imam Al-Hussein is unsettling to many, because it shatters the facade. In it, everything Muslims don’t want to face is present: the Prophet’s grandson, slaughtered and raised on a spear while his Muslim killer stands in pride beneath it, and the Muslims were silent, just as they are today. The portrait does not allow anyone to hide behind phrases like “historical tragedy” or “unfortunate events.” It forces the Muslims to witness their history.  The non-working scholars fear this, that ordinary Muslims might start to realise the injustice done to Ahlul-Bayt and start questioning the legitimacy of those who ordered, enabled, or defended that injustice. So they instead emphasise technical discussions: “Is it allowed to build domes over graves?” “Are images permissible?” “Is visiting such places religiously valid?”  All the while, the Qur’an remind us: the only reward he asked you for was love of his near relatives. Aba Al‑Sadiq’s unveilings of the Prophet and his Family in the Hall of Mysteries is not about worshipping any “idols,” it is about reclaiming the right of the Ahlul-Bayt to be seen, remembered, and honoured after centuries of deliberately erasing their name from history. It is testifying that no caution about images can outweigh the Qur’anic command to love and defend the Prophet’s Family.​ It refuses to let the crimes of Karbala and the persecution of Ahlul-Bayt by the caliphs of Islam remain hidden. Those who attack such efforts in the name of “protecting Islam” should ask themselves which Islam they are protecting, the Islam of the Qur’an that commands love for the Prophet’s relatives, or the Islam of rulers and non-working scholars that deliberately hide the truth?  The statues, paintings, and a whole space dedicated to Mohammed and his Family, force the Muslims to walk through their own history, to see the crimes of their rulers, judges, and soldiers who all claimed Islam while at the same time they turned against Ahlul-Bayt. While people argue about images, he is restoring the image of Islam itself, not the Islam of scholars’ rulings, but the Islam that stands with Al-Hussein on the sands of Karbala. It is significant and relevant to every Muslim today because the spear‑hand that severed Al-Hussein’s head is not just an image of past violence, it is the beginning of a spiritual curse that spread from then until today. As we see in narration below, God does not bless a worship that is detached from loyalty to the Prophet’s Family.  Imam Al-Jawad was asked: “May I be your ransom, what do you say about fasting? It was said that they are not given success to fasting.” So he said: “Indeed the prayer of the angel against them was answered.” So I said: “And how is that, may I be your ransom?” He said: “The people when they killed Al-Hussein God the Exalted commanded an angel to call: ‘O oppressive nation that has killed the descendants of its Messenger, may God not give you success neither to fasting nor to breaking fast.’ ” (Al-Kafi, Al-Shaikh Al-Kulayni, Vol. 4, p. 169.) According to this narration, the community that murdered the Prophet’s grandson are told that blessing has been withdrawn. The community that betrayed Ahlul-Bayt is not blessed in its worship, even if it fills its mosques and markets for Ramadan.  The Qur’anic command to love the Prophet’s family is not a minor teaching, it is a divine trust. To fast while turning away from the suffering of the Prophet’s Family and to dismiss their oppression with slogans like “history is complicated,” such a fast may be recorded on the calendar, but in the sight of God it is stripped of light, because it is built on a refusal to acknowledge injustice against those whom He commanded us to honour.  The museum of Mohammed and his Family represents the ultimate tragedy of Islam, that God appointed men to guide and purify the Muslim community, but the Muslims repeatedly turned against them. Imam Al-Hussein, the Prophet’s grandson, was killed in Karbala by men who claimed Islam, and his head was raised on a spear while they boasted of their “success” over the “House of the Prophet.” The Prophet’s Family was murdered, imprisoned and oppressed by rulers who also called themselves “Muslim.” The only “reward” the Prophet asked for, love for his family, was turned into blood. And so in this unveiling by Aba Al-Sadiq and through this gift of Imam Al-Mahdi, a mirror is held up to the true version of history and we face a choice….to choose between Al-Hussein and Shimr. Either we repair our loyalty to the Prophet’s Family, or our worship will stay empty, and any fasting and Eid will have lost their “success.”  From the first words of the Qur’an we recite, Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim , we call on a God of mercy, compassion, and justice. Yet everything the museum exposes, shows how far the Muslims have strayed from mercy and compassion toward the Prophet’s own household.  The true renewal that many Muslim seek during the month of Ramadhan will come only when Muslims dare to look within, and through this type of work: a museum that dares to remember, a video that forces Muslims to see the spear in their own hands, and a people who finally choose, not in slogans, but in hearts, to stand with Al-Hussein, not Shimr, and finally pay the only reward that Prophet Mohammed ever asked for: genuine love and loyalty to his Family.

We have received another shocking report about the religious persecution of Iranian members of The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light.  Marzieh Gorbanpur was a housewife whose life was drastically changed after her own family members found out about her and her son’s conversion and began threatening to report them to the police or even kill them. The intense harassment of her family forced her to escape from Iran to Turkey, where she became one of the 104 AROPL Members unlawfully detained after trying to legally cross the Turkish-Bulgarian border. Today, the plight of sister Marzieh has not ended, as she finds herself unable to leave Turkey , where our members are also facing religious persecution. Sister Marzieh (left) along with sister Zahra (left), another Iranian persecuted member of AROPL currently in Turkey “ My name is Marzieh Gorbanpur Gobadlu, born in 1972 in the city of Tabriz, Iran. My mother’s name is Almnaz and my father’s name is Eltefat. I have been a housewife, and my residence was in Tehran. I embraced the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light and I am a believer. I have been subjected to harassment and persecution by both the government and my family because of my faith in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. In Iran, there is no freedom of belief, and in the Islamic Republic, anyone who changes their religion is considered an apostate. Public expression of this belief may result in imprisonment and, in some cases, execution. Therefore, I could not freely practice my faith, as I was persecuted by the Iranian government. Later, following reports submitted by my family and my ex-husband to the security police, I was monitored by the security forces. Moreover, wearing the hijab is mandatory in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and I oppose compulsory hijab. My family also opposed my belief. My husband threatened that if I continued on this path, he would report me to the police and security authorities, have me arrested, and even threatened to kill me. Within my family, I was accused of immorality, and they intended to falsely charge me with unethical behavior. They repeatedly claimed that the family’s honor and my son’s life were at risk. The pressure, harassment, and threats became so intense that I could no longer live freely among them or even breathe; the situation was terrifying for me. Ultimately, I decided to flee Iran to preserve my faith. At the airport, my husband demanded me to return and threatened me saying that if I did not, he would prevent me from leaving the country. By God’s grace, I was able to depart on a holiday (Thursday and Friday), and he could not prevent me from leaving, so I successfully exited the country.   Sister Marzieh’s son, Reza, who is also a victim of religious persecution in Iran Within my family, only my son Reza shared this belief with me, and he too was subjected to persecution by the Iranian government because he embraced the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light at the same time as I did. When he attempted to leave Iran, he was arrested by the highway police and imprisoned. He is now released on bail but remains under government supervision, awaiting a court ruling that could impose the death penalty. They have even attempted to execute him extrajudicially. On 03/12/2022, I entered Turkey and settled there alongside several members of my religion who had gathered from different countries. We lived together, though in secrecy and under very difficult conditions, as Turkey did not welcome us. I was still being persecuted by Iran, and my family made great efforts to have me returned. They told me that Reza was in prison and that I had to return to provide the house deed as collateral; otherwise, he would be executed. Considering that I myself was also at risk of execution, returning was impossible, and this situation caused me severe psychological pressure, as both my son and I were in danger. Life in Turkey under these conditions was unbearable for us, and we wanted a place where we could live freely, be safe, and freely practice our religion. Therefore, together with my fellow believers and brothers, whom I lived with, we decided to leave Turkey. We were 104 people. We intended to cross from the Turkish border into Bulgaria because Bulgaria, and even the European Union, welcomed us, recognized our religion and beliefs, and we were under international protection. For this reason, we headed toward the Bulgaria-Turkey border, carrying with us the necessary documents and papers. At the border, we told the Turkish officers that our lives were in danger and that we did not want to remain in this country, but they paid no attention and did not allow us to pass. They then began firing warning shots, while we peacefully insisted on crossing the border, as the Bulgarian government had coordinated with us and was waiting. The border officers interlocked their hands and tried to push us back. I shielded several children to protect them from harm, but I myself was injured under the officers’ feet. One officer pressed his elbow against my throat, choking me. They struck me with batons, pushed me, and when I held onto the fence to keep my balance, they hit my hand with a baton as well. They then threw me to the ground, dragged me, and pushed me into a bus. All my personal belongings, including my phone, handbag, and suitcase, were taken from me. On the bus, they intimidated us with shouting and threats, and anyone who spoke was severely beaten. Then they transferred me to a place for interrogation. There, they even removed my clothes and took my personal belongings, including my earrings. Later that same day, on 24/05/2023, they moved me to a tent-like place that was very cold and filthy, with no facilities for sleeping. There was only a bench where other detainees slept, and I was forced to sleep on the cold ground. There were no sanitary facilities, hot water, showers, or proper toilets. For three days, we were given only low-quality cake and juice. After that, I was transferred to the Edirne camp. Conditions in the Edirne camp were also very poor. I had no possibility to change clothes, and no sanitary or medical services were provided. The poor-quality food caused serious damage to my stomach, and to this day I suffer from severe digestive problems, including loss of appetite and stomach bleeding. Due to the unhygienic conditions, my body developed severe itching and even bleeding. I was not allowed to access fresh air and was constantly confined to a room. During this period, I was under intense pressure to sign papers that would facilitate my deportation to Iran. During the few months in this camp, I developed severe depression. After that, almost four months later, I was transferred to Gaziantep. Conditions there were even worse than in Edirne; there were no sanitary, food, medical, or security facilities, and communication with family was completely cut off. Throughout this time, our lawyers in Turkey, Europe, and the United States worked tirelessly to prevent our deportation, as the Turkish government intended to send us back to our home countries. Eventually, our lawyers succeeded in obtaining a court order for our release, and I was freed on 06/10/2023, almost five months later, and transferred to Istanbul. However, life continued in fear and secrecy. After that, I went to Edirne with my fellow believers, but the Turkish police identified us and exiled us to different cities. I, a housewife without the ability to work, was exiled alone to the city of Kütahya. There, I am wandering without a home or shelter. I went to the immigration office and explained my difficult situation, but my request to be transferred to Sparta was denied. They required having an immediate family member or providing a valid medical certificate, but even though my illness was confirmed by the hospital, my request was rejected. As a result, I was forced to continue living alone. I have developed fear, eye pain, nightmares, hallucinations, and severe depression. I have been living alone in Kütahya for about two years. I suffer from cataracts, but I am not allowed to travel for treatment. Every month I must go to the immigration office and register my presence, despite having committed no crime. In general, there is no security for me in Turkey. I live in very difficult financial conditions and need treatment and surgery, but I cannot access medical services or even move freely. At any moment, I may be arrested, sent to a camp, or face other dangers.   Sister Marzieh along with the Ansar in Sparta, Turkey A few days ago, when I went to visit my friends’ house in Sparta, the immigration police suddenly entered and arrested almost everyone present without any crime. They were taken to the immigration office, and we were nearly sent back to a camp, but ultimately we were released. However, the danger continues to threaten us constantly. ” Denying the Human Right to Freedom of Belief in Iran, Turkey and all across the Middle East means that the lives of innocent people who have committed no crime can be systematically destroyed by the state, which faces little to no accountability for these actions. The Divine Just State Magazine will continue to highlight the persecution of the members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light  and support the Human Right of Freedom of Religion and Belief for all the people regardless of their faith.

In a world where religion is often perceived as a space of judgment, rejection or condition, a voice rises: that of Aba Al-Sadiq. His mission? To call people to God, without condemning anyone, regardless of their background. He reminds us that he has not come to judge the people. Rather, as a Messenger and Imam, to open the doors and extend love, grace, and the religion of Allah to all human beings. While the world fractures, categorizes, and divides—based on culture, religion, identity, and orientation—he chooses a different path. He calls for a return to the essential: our shared humanity. To look with the heart rather than with fear. To unite where others denigrate, divide, and persecute. Far from the condemnations and barriers imposed by certain religious institutions, his message puts back at the center the sacred value of each being and each soul, not that of a few. United under the same banner: that of God. It invites us to move beyond labels, identities, and apparent differences to recognize a deeper truth: every being is in search of meaning, truth, and God. From this perspective, people from the LGBTQ+ community are neither marginalized nor merely tolerated, but fully welcomed, respected, and recognized as an integral part of this universal calling. As ambassadors within the religion for the LGBTQ+ community, Myriam and Anaïs bear witness to this — each in their own way, with their own story and their own path to God. Personal Journey of the Two Ambassadors Who are you today, beyond the labels? Myriam: I am a woman, a mother, and a wife. Today, I feel aligned, in harmony with the image I project and the one I carry within. Anaïs: I am a fulfilled woman, in harmony with my principles and values. Today, I feel at peace in my roles as wife, mother, and woman. What life experiences have shaped you the most? Myriam: Becoming a mother, without hesitation. Educating, understanding, and supporting a child's growth requires constant self-reflection. It forces introspection, personal growth, and becoming a better version of oneself. Anaïs: My meeting with my husband was pivotal, like a door opening onto a deeper calling. The birth of my son and, above all, my encounter with God profoundly transformed my outlook on life and my understanding of myself. Where did you truly feel you belonged before? Myriam: In rugby, it's an environment where everyone has their place, regardless of their origin, physique, or gender. There's a real sense of acceptance and teamwork that has profoundly impacted me. Anaïs: Nowhere, really. For a long time, I felt that something was expected of me, that I constantly had to give or respond to implicit expectations. Paradoxically, it was in the professional sphere that I felt most at ease, because everything is clear there: it's about performance, without unspoken assumptions, without ambiguity. Spiritual Path How did your encounter with faith come about? Myriam: After a lifetime of searching for God through creation, and having come to the conclusion that even what I knew of Islam had been altered, I made a sincere request: to receive a clear sign. It was at that moment that I came across a video that answered my questions precisely, particularly regarding Ramadan and the issue of the alteration of the Qur’an. Anaïs: It happened through my husband. Then, by discovering The Goal of the Wise I found answers to questions that had remained unanswered. Everything fell into place coherently: a logical whole, a continuity, and a profoundly universal vision. What deeply touched or challenged you? Myriam: Experiencing this discovery as a family was a very powerful experience. The Sermon of Clarification marked a turning point, and seeing the face of Abdullah Hashem again, who had already made a significant impact on my journey, reinforced this feeling of certainty. Anaïs: This message has the ability to speak to everyone, through logic as much as through its universality. It is not addressed to a particular group, but to humanity in its most essential form. How has this spirituality changed your perspective on yourself and others? Myriam: This path has given me a profoundly universal vision: an openness, a love, and a peace that don't put human beings in boxes. It has taught me to look beyond labels and to recognize the value of each individual. Anaïs: This marked for me the end of an inner wandering, but also the end of a feeling of rejection towards God. I found a form of peace and reconnection there. Engagement and Inclusion What inspired you to get involved? Myriam: It's been a lifelong struggle. I've always been welcomed, supported, and never rejected by this community. From a very young age, this gave me the strength to link it to my own fight against injustice, certain systems, and social pressures. If today I'm at peace with my identity, my sexuality, and a sometimes androgynous image, it's because I've experienced, discovered, and above all, defended the freedom to exist through openness, diversity, and a lack of judgment that goes beyond the purely physical. I've always known that before being a body, I am a soul, a free spirit evolving in a material world. It is this deep conviction that has allowed me to transform my questions into strength and to fully embrace who I am. Today, it is an honor for me to be able, in turn, to call for this freedom to exist, especially for the youngest, who often live in constant struggle. Anaïs: To provide answers to a community often rejected by religions, and to restore to it a place, dignity, and legitimacy in the spiritual journey. How do you connect faith and openness? Myriam: The Seventh Covenant puts love and diversity back at the center, with a form of sincere neutrality, under God's recognition, without violence or rejection. It is a vision that brings peace and unites, rather than divides. Anaïs: Through a universal love, devoid of labels, which does not condition the value of a person on their identity but on their essence. How has this approach changed things for you personally? Myriam: By pledging allegiance, I freed myself from many limiting beliefs. I was finally able to be myself, without hiding, to fully accept myself, with the profound feeling of having found my place and being surrounded by what I consider my true family: the family of souls. Anaïs: The discovery of God in His oneness, and a deeper understanding of the link between the divine and every human being. In your opinion, what valuable contributions do LGBTQ+ journeys make to spirituality? Myriam: They remind us that God is for everyone, without exception, with no other interest than to guide and save souls. These journeys highlight an essential reality: spirituality cannot be limited by human categories. Anaïs: They also testify that, regardless of sex, sexuality, or origins, God makes no distinction between souls. His love and help are granted to everyone, without distinction, with the same mercy and justice. Message to the Searchers What message would you like to convey to someone who doubts they belong? Myriam: I would encourage him to read, search for, and understand this call for himself. To ask himself a simple question: why couldn't God call him too, despite the rejection he may have experienced elsewhere? It is an invitation to discover a universal message that gathers lost truths and opens the way to divine justice founded on love, acceptance, and protection. Anaïs: For my part, I would simply say: move forward with certainty and logic. By discovering this path and the person who leads it, the answers will come naturally. Conclusion The paths of Myriam and Anaïs speak for themselves: two seekers of truth, driven by a quest for meaning. Two stories that come together in service to all — and an invitation. The faith of believing. That faith can be a space where we arrive as we are — with our history, our doubts, our identity — and where we become more whole, more free, more connected to God and to others. This is the heart of Aba Al-Sadiq's message: not a religion that sorts, condemns or excludes, but a universal call that recognizes in every being a soul worthy of being guided, loved and welcomed. And you, whatever your story — this call is for you too. If you believe that it is God who appoints the Leader on Earth, no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, I say to all of you that His doors are opened wide.

Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan, born as Ahmed Ismail, is the First of the Twelve Mahdis and the promised Yamani. He publicly emerged in 1999 in Basra, Iraq, as the Messenger and successor of Imam Mahdi. Before his divine appointment, he was an ordinary man living a normal life—he studied engineering at university and was married with children. Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan at the University in Iraq, where he studied to become an engineer Meeting with Imam Mahdi Many years before his public call began, Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan had a series of dreams in which he met Imam Mahdi standing at the Mausoleum of Sayyed Mohammed, the brother of Imam Al-Askari. In these dreams, Imam Mahdi told him to meet him in the physical world. Two days after the first of these dreams, Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan went on a pilgrimage to several mausoleums of the Imams. Eventually, he met Imam Mahdi physically for the first time at the Mausoleum of Imam Al-Hadi and Imam Al-Askari.  The Shrine of Imam Al-Hadi and Imam Al-Askari, where Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan met Imam Mahdi for the first time During these initial meetings, Imam Mahdi also informed Ahmed Al-Hassan of who he truly was, that he was the First of Twelve Mahdis mentioned in the will of the Prophet Mohammed and the prophesied Yamani. "Then there will be twelve Mahdis after him, so if death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, the first of the close ones, he has three names, one like mine and my Father’s and it is Abdullah, Ahmad, and the third name is Al-Mahdi, and he is the first of the believers.” (Ghaybat Al-Tusi, Vol. 1, pp. 174-175; Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 53, p. 148) Before this revelation, Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan never thought that his profession would have anything to do with religion, and he had not heard that there were Twelve Mahdis, believing there to be only the character of Imam Mahdi himself.  After this meeting, he had other meetings where Imam Mahdi clarified many things to him, teaching him godly morals and manners, and imparting crucial knowledge to him. In December 1999, Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan had more visions where he saw Imam Mahdi again. He directed him to travel to various holy sites before meeting Imam Mahdi at night in the Mausoleum of Imam Al-Hussein in Karbala and again the next morning in the shrine of Imam Mahdi. In these meetings, Imam Mahdi instructed him to begin his public call within the Hawza of Najaf to present the truth to the religious establishment. After these meetings, Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan travelled to Najaf to the Hawza, where he set out to inform the organisation of what he had come to know from Imam Mahdi.  His Message  The main message that Ahmed Al-Hassan was tasked with bringing forward was the supremacy of God: this forgotten core foundation of religion that only God has the right to appoint a leader, as is stated in the Qur’an, where God says, “Indeed, I am appointing a caliph on the earth.” (Qur’an 2:30) Up until 2007, Ahmad Al-Hassan continued to repeat this message. He called people back to the belief that authority and leadership must come from God, and that the purpose of religion is that people are not permitted to choose their own leader and that anyone who does so is betraying Mohammed and the Family of Mohammed. Corruption in the Hawza Imam Mahdi woke him up to the corruption in the Hawza (the Shia Institution in Iraq),   which was an awakening that he described as a “very painful” process and a reality that he only fully grasped after being enlightened by Imam Mahdi. He used the metap hor of "the corruption of salt," explaining that while the Hawza, as the source of education for Shia Islam, was intended to be the "salt" that preserves and fixes a corrupted world, if the salt itself goes bad, there is nothing left to fix corruption. From 1999, when he was sent forward, Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan attempted to reform these corruptions within the religious institution. Democracy The most severe corruption was the Hawza's abandonment of that core foundation of religion- the Supremacy of God. He accused the scholars of trading the divine right of appointment for American-style democracy and elections, which he labeled as the "Saqifa” of the non-working scholars - a modern repeat of the betrayal of Imam Ali. Democratic elections in Iraq had become the norm, sanctioned by the Islamic State of Iran. Ali Al‑Sistani issued religious fatwas urging Iraqis to participate actively in elections, framing participation as both a civic and moral responsibility.  In the Hawza, the scholars all became pro-democracy replacing the Imams and the vicegerents of God with other people, meaning there was no difference between the Shia in Iraq and Iran and the rest of the world. Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan warned against the dangers of democratic elections and called the people back to the divinely appointed leader.  Non-Working Scholars  He labeled the corrupt clerics from the Hawza as "non-working scholars," describing them as “treacherous,” “silent idols”, and that they do not want the appearance and rise of the Mahdi, as that would mean the end of their status as Marjas. He warned the people that the religious establishment would be the primary enemy of the Mahdi upon his rise, referring to narrations from Mohammed and the Family of Mohammed stating that the scholars of the End Times are the "most evil religious scholars under the shadow of the sky." In addition to this, he criticized Wilayat Al-Faqih  (Rule of the Jurisprudent), which gives scholars religious and political leadership in the absence of Imam Mahdi, arguing that scholars had falsely claimed the same authority as Prophets and Messengers in order to centralize power and money. He also declared that the system of Taqleed, which requires laypeople to blindly follow a scholar, is a false innovation used to strip away the authority of the Imam and make the scholars themselves into "idols" or "gods."  Financial Hypocrisy During his time in the Hawza, he observed a stark contrast between the luxury and extravagance enjoyed by high-ranking scholars and the misery, hunger, and sickness of the general society. He noted that while the scholars preached patience and asceticism to the poor, they themselves lived lavishly. He taught that the Khums (religious tax) was being stolen by scholars under the guise of religion, when it rightfully belongs only to Imam Mahdi or his divinely appointed successor. Experience Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan spent three years from 1999, when he was first sent forward, attempting to reform the Hawza. While some students agreed with his statements about financial corruption, no true reform occurred. A few financial policies of certain scholars were adjusted, but changes were minimal, and luxury and extravagance continued among many scholars and those connected to them, while the majority of society remained in poverty. Although some Hawza students supported him, many did not, leading to heated arguments and the severing of ties by numerous students. In 2003, groups of students from the Hawza began pledging allegiance to him after witnessing dreams and visions confirming that he was indeed a Messenger from Imam Mahdi. They began pledging allegiance to him and promising to ransom themselves and their money and children to him; however, after the forces of Saddam Hussein began to pursue Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan, many went back on their pledges. Backlash  After many supporters left, he returned home with only a few Hawza students and some believers with him. In 2004, a group of believers returned and renewed their pledge, and the call began again.  In November 2004 Imam Mahdi commanded him to address the people of the earth and announce a revolution against the oppressors, to act quickly and plan the necessary steps, to call people to support the truth and establish justice, to raise the declaration “There is no God but Allah” During this time the call entered an intensive phase of global outreach and public confrontation with both the political and religious establishments as Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan took many key steps to progress the truth. He officially identified the political elections taking place in Baghdad during the American occupation is the “Minor Shura” (consultation) and that this event was actually the fulfillment of a prophecy by the Prophet Mohammed who warned that: “As for the Minor Elections, they shall be set in the major occultation in Al-Zawraa’ (Baghdad) to change my sunnah/way and replace my laws.” (250 Signs until the Appearance of Imam Mahdi, Muhammad Ali Tabatabai, p. 130) He argued that by adopting a democratic system where the people chose their own leader, the nation was once again rejecting the Supremacy of God. During this period, Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan intensified his critique of the religious establishment, specifically identifying Ali Sistani as the "Dajjal of Sijistan" mentioned in end-time narrations. He accused Sistani of aiding the "Greater Dajjal" - The American political system, by issuing fatwas that made it a religious obligation for the Shia to participate in the democratic elections and support man-made laws and leaders who were chosen by the people, not by God.  He started breaking the Idols that the scholars had become, highlighting their hypocrisy and pointing out the way they were usurping the rights of the Family of Mohammed, He warned the Iraqi people that they would face a “loss in this world and the hereafter” for following the non-working scholars and predicted that the democratic experiment would lead to a period of darkness and chaos.  He also wrote letters to a number of world leaders informing them of the appearance of Imam Mahdi. One of these letters was sent to Ali Khamenei, in which he identified himself as a Messenger from Imam Mahdi and requested an audience with him to call on him to hand over the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Imam Mahdi. Another letter was sent to the former President of the United States, George Bush, warning him about the consequences of his actions in Iraq. He also addressed the people of Iraq, calling on them for support. As his message spread and began to be seen as a threat to the authorities, a campaign was launched against him and his call. This revolutionary period caused many believers to fall away due to fear of the tyrants. In 2007, the tension between Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan and the religious authorities reached a breaking point. Scholars began issuing fatwas against him and his followers, declaring them heretical and accusing him of being a “dajjal” or a “magician”, even declaring his blood “halal.” The religious authorities also pressured Iraqi security forces to act against his followers. Homes were raided, believers were arrested, and some were killed despite having committed no crime. Shia militias and followers of the religious establishment began searching for Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan with the intention of killing him because of his criticism of the religious scholars and institutions. Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan had previously warned that such events would occur. In his Sermon of Hajj, he also warned that “a new Karbala” will take place. After attempts were made to kill him and his followers, Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan disappeared from public view. The Fitna of the Calf  Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan predicted in his book “The Calf” that a trial would occur, known as the “Fitna of the Calf”; he warned his followers that infiltration and corruption would take place from hypocrites inside the call in a direct parallel to the story of Moses. When Moses was absent from his people, they were led astray and began to worship the Golden Calf, turning to an idol in his absence. This event is described in the Qur'an and serves as a comparison to how deviation occurred within the movement when its leader is momentarily absent. This prediction came true after Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan disappeared from the public eye, and the call was infiltrated by Iraqi and Iranian special forces who recruited some of the believers. An impersonator was then used to imitate the voice of the Imam and record a false sermon known as the “Sermon of Muharram.” These infiltrators created a Facebook page and established a special office in Najaf, claiming that it was the only official representative and the sole gateway to Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan. Since 2007, Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan had not been photographed or seen publicly. As a result, the voice used in these recordings was widely believed by followers to be his. The office then began redirecting the movement without the input of Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan, shaping its direction according to their own interpretations and the influence of leaders within the government of Iraq. This shift moved the movement away from the original message of Imam Ahmad Al-Hassan—calling people toward the supremacy of God, true monotheism, and the principles of justice and equity. The last known picture of Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan was sent forward to humanity at a time when the true message of religion had become corrupted, when the rights of Mohammed and the Family of Mohammed had been usurped by corrupt religious scholars and tyrannical rulers.  His message shook the very foundations of modern-day religion. Despite the intense backlash and persecution he faced from authorities, his story marks the long-awaited re-emergence of a forgotten core principle of religion: that supremacy and allegiance belong to God alone, and that true guidance comes only through divine appointment—not through human choice.

The Divine Just State magazine published an article about ‘The Coming Wrath Of God Upon Iran’  on the 25th of February; before the elimination of Ali Khamenei, the despotic ruler and oppressor of Iran. That article went into great detail about the persecution faced by the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light from the so-called Islamic Republic of Iran. Since then, Ali Khamenei perished in an airstrike conducted by the Israeli-American coalition, which Iran claims, started a campaign to destroy Iran and terminate the threat posed by Iran in the Middle East and in particular to Israel.  As we reported, this was foretold by Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq in his Sermon published on the 23rd of January on The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light YouTube channel, with the title: A Global Address by the Mahdi Aba Al-Sadiq on the 11th Anniversary of the Appearance . He had precisely said: “And the Prophet Mohammed said: ‘May God curse Khosrow’ the Shah of Persia. ‘Verily, the first of the people to be destroyed is Persia and then the Arabs.’ And that's what you see coming to pass. Today, Persia is about to be destroyed, and tomorrow, after that, will be the Arabs. So today I have conveyed what I was commanded to convey.” The finer details of this particular story can be read in the article itself. This is not the purpose of this article. Today, Iran is a different place than it was on the 25th of February. In less than one month, the instability that started at the end of December and intensified throughout January, as previously documented, with protests on the streets against the government and violence erupting as reported in the global news press, culminated in the airstrike that ended the life of Ali Khamenei on the 28th of February. Since that day, the situation on the ground in Iran has become less coherent and more unpredictable. The propaganda war has impacted information to a predictable extent, making it much more difficult to ascertain what is going on within the country. The remnants of the Iranian regime, with their contingency plans, have lashed out at anything and everything possible to destabilise the world economy in retaliation and to force out a dragged-out war with those who dared to strike Iran so intensely and extensively. The situation in Iran has magnified to the point where there is more political volatility, which in turn has forced an escalation of the violence perpetrated by the regime to safeguard its future.  This situation has resulted in more severe consequences for the Iranian believers in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, which is largely ignored by the global press as a less relevant story to cover, and as such, it is the responsibility of this publication to highlight this fact and bring as much attention to it as possible. Human Rights abuses should never be allowed to take place anywhere in the world for whatever reason. Essentially, these latest developments must be covered in the context of the struggles faced by the believers in Iran and those of Iranian descent living outside Iran. So, contact with the believers in Iran has completely halted due to the internet infrastructure disappearing in the past few weeks and the persecution reaching a crescendo with the murders of several believers as reported in Facebook posts by the leader of the faith Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq .      In another development, a believer residing in Georgia was recently contacted by his family in Iran requesting that he take down his website because the Sepah have threatened to take action against them if the site is not taken down. The Sepah, officially known as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is a powerful military organization in Iran established after the 1979 revolution to protect the Islamic Republic. It plays a significant role in Iran's military, political, and economic spheres, operating independently from the regular armed forces. This division of the Iranian armed forces is comparable to the SS or Schutzstaffel, a paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, initially formed as his personal bodyguard in 1925. It grew to become a powerful entity responsible for enforcing Nazi policies, managing concentration camps, and committing numerous war crimes during World War II. This incident came to light on Friday the 20th of March 2026, and was reported to DJS magazine by the Messenger of Iran, Hamidreza Saghari, who was contacted by the believer in Georgia to inform him of the situation. As the war intensifies in Iran, the risks faced by any Iranians around the world who happen to believe in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light continue to magnify as the regime threatens to take any action it sees as fitting to ensure its survival, especially against any voices seeking to expose their barbarism and immoral conduct when persecuting human beings exercising their basic rights continues to exist.

The Divine Just State magazine recently published the accounts of several believers with Iranian origins in which they detail their ordeals firsthand. This endeavour will continue in order to document the experiences suffered by all innocent victims of oppression due to their choice to believe in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light wherever they may be. The latest report received is from Nima, a millennial born in Iran who chose to believe in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. This choice seems to justify his torment under the oppressive regime of the so-called Islamic Republic of Iran. Here is his story in his own words. “My name is Nima Esfandiari. I was born on February 28, 2005. I took my oath of allegiance in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in 2020 in Iran. I was threatened with arrest by various authorities such as the Basij and the Ministry of Intelligence. They repeatedly targeted me on Telegram and other social media platforms, where I was peacefully inviting people and promoting the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. They sent me threatening messages many times. “ Misguided ones, may God have mercy on you. I am just waiting for the day when the Ministry of Intelligence and Security arrests you—then it will be something to see". I had a friend in Iran named Arman and after I told him about my religion and explained it, he believed. He was even among the 15 people who were arrested by the Iranian government because of their beliefs. After Arman’s brother realized that I had facilitated for Arman to believe in this religion (Arman’s brother is a member of Iran’s Basij), he chased me with a knife in a narrow alley and threatened me with it so that I would no longer approach Arman and so that I would not promote my religion in that area. Many times in Iran, when I was going to work, I noticed cars with green license plates - which usually belong to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence - following me. At the same time, when I was peacefully promoting my religion on Telegram, I received messages from various anonymous usernames telling me to be careful and not cause trouble for myself. “Watch out your phone number is showing, be careful.” I reply “Yes everyone can see my number”; he then replies “People can cause you problems”. Even after this incident, my friend who was also a believer in this religion, named Mohammad Amin Nouri (who passed away due to pressures from the Iranian and Turkish governments), was threatened during the same period by motorcycles that were clearly affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) because the license plates were green. They also him their Revolutionary Guards card, forcibly took his phone, and told him to warn my other friend Nima that they were watching him; if he did not stop promoting this religion, he would face serious consequences and that they were also after him.  Left: Nima Esfandiari, right: Mohammad Amin After I realized that my life was in danger in Iran because of my religion, I was forced to leave Iran on December 2, 2022, aged 18, so I went to Istanbul, Turkey. After seeing my fellow believers who were also forced to flee Iran, I decided to leave Turkey as well, because Turkey was not safe for me either, and it never had been. We repeatedly received threatening messages from Iranian authorities and intelligence saying, “We are after you, and don’t think you are safe in Turkey.” So we decided on May 24, 2023, to go to the official and legal border between Turkey and Bulgaria and apply for asylum in a safe country. More than 27 human rights organizations were informed, and everything was proceeding legally.  However, when we, 104 people, approached the legal border, the Turkish police and gendarmerie started beating us with batons and fired warning shots into the air. They forcibly put all of us on buses and transferred us to the deportation camp in Edirne.  Below are images of me among the 104 people at the Turkey-Bulgaria border and the police standing in front of us: Nima amongst the 104 For the first three days, they kept us in a place where we slept on the floor, and the only food they gave us was soup at noon; and juice and cake in the evenings.  After they realized that we had hired a lawyer and human rights organizations began putting pressure on them, they moved us to a place behind closed doors after three days, but it had beds and basic facilities. However, we were allowed only one to two hours of outdoor time per day, and then we were locked behind closed doors like criminals with limited hygiene supplies. I was imprisoned in the Edirne and Gaziantep deportation camps from May 24, 2023, to October 10, 2023.  After the United Nations warned Turkey to stop the deportation of the 104 members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, and the lawyer pressured the relevant court while human rights organizations continued to apply pressure, finally on October 10, 2023, my deportation order was canceled, and I was released—but without any identification documents and without any support.  Later, in order to legalize my stay in Turkey, I went to the Edirne Immigration Office and applied for a temporary asylum residence permit (Kimlik). Later, they told me I had to go from this city to the city of Müş in Turkey.  While we were in Edirne fellow believers and friends were supporting me with housing and food.  But they separated us in low-tier cities in Turkey, cities with very limited work opportunities and poor facilities close to Iran. In the city of Müş, due to its small size and lack of jobs, I could not find any work, and the few jobs I did find were temporary and soon ended.  Nima with fellow members in Edirne before being forcefully separated I have been covering my expenses, including rent and food, with support from my family in Iran and humanitarian aid from my religious organization, the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. Even now, due to the lack of work and insufficient money in this city, I have repeatedly been at risk of malnutrition and losing my place to live. They transferred me to a city like Müş in Turkey, which is not only close to Iran but also small, lacks facilities, and has very limited work opportunities. I have repeatedly asked the Müş Immigration Office to transfer me to a city where several other members of my religion live because here I have no work, no money, and I’m at risk of malnutrition.  Here, I have also been threatened multiple times, even in the markets where I worked for a month, being called an infidel. I cannot speak of my religion here either, because the local Muslims are very intolerant. The Müş Immigration Office refused my transfer request, saying it is entirely out of their hands and they cannot send me to another city.  These are some of the persecutions and harassment I have faced in Iran and Turkey solely because of my beliefs and faith.” This is yet another account of abuse at the hands of authorities in both Iran and Turkey on a level which cannot legally be accepted by international bodies like the United Nations. As can be seen first hand here, the persecution of believers in this faith continues in ways which are generally undetectable within the countries themselves by the international bodies which have the mandate to monitor these conditions. The most basic human rights are not being afforded to believers, like Nima, solely on the basis of their choice to believe in a faith which is formally recognised and accepted as being an illegitimate faith by the respective governments of these countries.  This example set by more influential Muslim majority countries is setting a precedent for less influential countries to follow suit. We have seen a major clamp down in Malaysia on any and all activities of members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light resulting in various arrests and, most recently and notably, the incarceration of two believers for a period of nine months  for no apparent reason other than their choice to believe in this faith.  We at the Divine Just State magazine beseech the international community to take action and condemn the actions of such belligerent governments which pay no attention to their responsibilities and obligations under international law to apply basic human rights to all under their governance regardless of their choice in faith. The situation of believers targeted by these governments is increasingly desperate and cannot continue unabated.

The Divine Just State received another report from a believer from Iran who fled the state-sanctioned persecution aimed at her choice to believe in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. This report follows on from others published here with other Iranian nationals forced to flee their country for fear of imprisonment or worse, the death penalty. The stories of Mohammed Hashem Bazrafshan  and Mehdi Akbari  have already been brought to light in their own words. With that being said, here are the words of Zahra detailing her experiences since declaring her belief in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light.  “My name is Zahra Naderi Semiromi. I was born on 11/09/1971 in Semirom city, Isfahan Province, Iran. Mother’s name is Tayebeh. Father’s name is Shamsali. I am a retired school teacher (I taught Arabic), I taught in schools in Isfahan and Semirom.  My address is Shahid Fasihi Dead End, Shahid Redanipour Alley, 3rd Abshar St., Radan Area, Isfahan, Iran.  In late spring of 2020, I embraced the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, and I have been a believer in this faith for about six years. At first, I spoke with my family about my beliefs and invited them as well. I also spoke with neighbors and acquaintances in person and through WhatsApp and Telegram, some of whom were members of the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.). For this reason, in Iran I was strictly controlled by my family, and they threatened me with house arrest and to hand me over to the police. All of this happened due to threats from the Intelligence Organization of the IRGC, because reports about my conversion and my preaching to people had reached them. These threats initially came in the form of phone calls and Telegram messages, and they still continue.  Eventually, they came to our house, searched our belongings, confiscated my phone, and ransacked the place. With severe warnings and threats, they left me at home. They also threatened my brothers that if I continued preaching, they would consider them accomplices in my “crime.” They said that if they had not harmed me so far, it was only out of respect for my father, who was a respected cleric. They threatened me by saying things like: “We will put you in a sack.” “We will do something to you so that your body will never be found.” “You are working with organizations supported by Zionists and against the Islamic Republic.” They said this religion is a sect affiliated with Zionism and that my actions are considered propaganda against the regime and a crime. They told me I had no right to speak about my religion anymore. They gave my brothers serious warnings that if I continued, all of us would be arrested and face a terrible fate. They also said all my calls and messages were being monitored.  Because I continued my activities both in person and online, on 01/05/2022, I was arrested and jailed for 3 days. They published my pictures and those of other members of our religion in groups, labeling us as criminal sects, and spread many false accusations against us. I was under pressure both from the government and my family, to the extent that they took my property documents. At that time, I was temporarily living with my mother and brothers due to my job. My brothers repeatedly erased my phone data to prevent me from continuing my activities and told me that if I continued, they would personally hand me and my phone over to the authorities.  Later, in May 2022, my brothers forcibly hospitalized me for 10 days. They injected me with medication against my will because my family had reported me as mentally ill, claiming that I believed the Mahdi had appeared and that Khamenei was inspired by Satan. They forcibly took financial documents from me and appointed my brother as my legal guardian. They even said they would obtain a legal ruling declaring me incompetent. On one occasion, they drove aggressively toward me and nearly ran me over, then sent me a message saying: “We can easily kill you and no one will ever find out.” (Time: 3:05 p.m., Bozorgmehr Square, Isfahan – 09/02/2022).  When I was hospitalized, one of the doctors—who was the spouse of a colleague—spoke with me. She was surprised and asked why I was there. I told her I had no mental problem and that my family had hospitalized me because of my change of religion. After hearing my story, she felt sympathy for me and said: “Don’t worry, I will handle your medical case so you can be released.” She completed the necessary procedures, and after 10 days, I was discharged.  These events caused a deep identity crisis, frustration, and a sense of meaninglessness in me, as my entire identity was rooted in my faith and belief, and I had always been searching for God’s Messenger. Therefore, I decided to leave Iran at any cost and go somewhere I could freely practice and speak about my beliefs. I thought Turkey would be a better option, where I could at least have personal safety and escape persecution. On 03/12/2022, I left Iran and went to Istanbul, Turkey. About 9 days after I left Iran, on 12/12/2022, the Iranian government arrested, imprisoned, and tortured 15 members of our religion who were also trying to leave Iran under similar or even worse conditions, some with their families. Human rights organizations in Europe and Iranian human rights groups based in the United States reported on their imprisonment and torture. This showed the conditions under which we were living in Iran. If I had not fled, I would have faced the same fate. Unfortunately, since Turkey is also an Islamic country, it could not accept our beliefs. Therefore, along with a group of believers in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, I decided to go to the official Turkey–Bulgaria border. Bulgaria, as a European country, provides freedom of expression and belief, and our religion is officially registered in the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom as a religious organization and minority. However, Turkey did not allow us to leave. We were beaten and transferred to the Edirne Removal Center for deportation. I was detained there for approximately 4 months and 12 days, and later transferred to a refugee camp in Gaziantep, where I was subjected to severe psychological and physical pressure. My stomach and heart were affected due to these conditions. Altogether, my detention lasted from 26/05/2023 to 18/10/2023. After release, we were dispersed to different cities. Due to illness, separation from others, not knowing Turkish, and lack of health insurance, I faced many difficulties.  Unfortunately, I have no documents or screenshots of the threats and incidents in Iran and Turkey. Currently, due to the situation in Iran, I have no news from my family. The Iranian judiciary has also threatened to confiscate our property and kill our children. And God lies in wait for the oppressors.” The tragedies faced by believers in Iran and Turkey continue to paint a very dark picture of how the authorities in these countries treat religious minorities if they try to publicly proclaim their beliefs. Under the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, the conduct of these countries must be exposed and addressed at the highest levels in order to hold those responsible for these violations to account. The victims must also have assurance that they cannot be abandoned by those with the power to help them. In 2026, this must not continue without serious repercussions. As an oppressed religious minority, the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is facing persecution in several Muslim majority countries including Iran, Turkey, Egypt and Malaysia, amongst others. If these countries are not held to account for these violations then it will be seen as acceptable to continue persecuting religious minorities without fear of backlash. We commend and urge all institutions with authority to pressure these regimes to account for their conduct towards any and all religious minorities innocently practising their faith.

The Divine Just State magazine received another report from another Iranian National, Mehdi Akbari, in which he tells us of his experiences under the oppressive regimes in Iran and Turkey for believing in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. The following report, in his own words, highlights just some of his encounters over the past few years. “I, Mehdi Akbari, born on January 31, 1993, am from Iran. I embraced the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in the year 2021. In 2022, after my brothers and their families were arrested near the border on charges of attempting to flee the government, I was summoned to the ideological office by Mr. Tajari, who was my superior during my service in the Law Enforcement Forces. He reprimanded me for not reporting my brother’s religious beliefs and ordered for me to spy on my brother. He also warned me about the consequences of disobeying this order and threatened my life.  After my brother escaped again successfully during the Nowruz of 2023, six security officers entered our house forcefully during the holidays. They insulted me and my friend, physically assaulted me, searched the house, stole our phones, and left. The next day, we went to our rural hotel, only to find that it had also been raided by security forces and everything had been ransacked. As a result, I developed both psychological and physical illnesses. Due to my physical condition following gastric bypass surgery (weight-loss surgery), my digestive system had become very sensitive. Under stress and pressure, I developed stomach ulcers, digestive disorders, and suffered from repeated vomiting of blood.  I fled from my hometown, Gorgan, without a phone, out of fear of being tracked by security forces. I went to Karaj, at the beginning of the Chalous Road, where I started working in a restaurant called Tirozh Restaurant (Head Chef Ham) and I also stayed there. Due to my worsening condition, I could not perform my job properly, so my employer offered me a lighter job. I became the caretaker of his house.  In August 2023, my bank account was blocked. When I inquired at a local branch of Bank Melli, they told me it was because my late father had guaranteed a loan for someone else. However, this action was against legal procedures in Iran, because normally the assets of the deceased are first distributed among heirs, and then debts are deducted. In my case, no inheritance had yet been distributed, yet my account was blocked. Out of fear of being pursued by security forces, I did not return to Gorgan to resolve the issue; and I survived for about a year using bank cards belonging to distant relatives.  After about a year, I decided to return briefly to Gorgan to unblock my account and then go back to Karaj. I contacted my mother and told her I was on my way home and did not have my key. When I arrived at the front of the house, three individuals got out of a private car, forced me into the vehicle, and took me to an unidentified building on the outskirts of the city. They detained me in a room for about an hour. Then a person entered, beat me, and said I deserved it for not informing them of my whereabouts. After him, another person came, took my employer’s address and phone number, and threatened me saying that if I did not surrender to the court and repent from my faith, my fate would be death. A few days later, I was summoned by the Special Clerical Court. In order to escape these individuals, I was forced to make a false repentance.  However, the searches, harassment, and threats continued. They would raid our home at any time - day or night - searching, threatening, and insulting me. Many times, they came late at night or early in the morning. Eventually, they told me that soon they would summon me again to record a video statement against the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. After that, I stayed mostly at relatives’ and friends’ houses and rarely returned home. I decided to flee the country. When I went to the Police +10 office to apply for a passport, I found out that I was banned from leaving the country and could not obtain a passport. I contacted a person named Mahdavi, whom I had known during my service in a special forces unit in Varamin. He was the head of the ideological section of the passport police in Tehran. I met him in Tehran and asked him to resolve my passport situation so I could escape the country. The next day, he told me he could solve the problem and send me a passport. He asked for 2,000 USD, which was most of my life savings, and I paid him. In the autumn of 2025, I received my passport. Without saying goodbye to my mother, I left for Turkey by car to Tehran, then by bus to Urmia, and from there by car to Van. My physical condition was extremely poor, I thought I was near death. My brother took great care of me, he took me to doctors, arranged tests, and provided my medications, ultimately saving my life. They also threatened my brother with death in Turkey, which is a separate case in the Turkish immigration system. After I left Iran, they continued to harass and threaten my family and relatives.” Mehdi Akbari (right) with his brother (left) This brief report shows that innocent human beings have been treated like serious criminals by the regime in Iran and they continue to suffer extreme persecution and harassment by their pursuers across borders. Not only that, but they are also targeted by the authorities in other countries like Turkey for no other reason than the belief which they hold on to. A belief which teaches humanity comes first above religion. A belief which states that only God has a right to appoint a leader. This magazine will continue to highlight the plight of all who are persecuted for believing in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light.

"CAP Freedom urges Egypt to end Ahmadi persecution at the United Nations" At the United Nations Human Rights Council under Item 9 (Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance), CAP Freedom Human Rights delivers a powerful statement highlighting the arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and reported torture of members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Egypt. From March to April 2025, coordinated arrests targeted peaceful believers solely for their religious identity. Detainees were denied access to lawyers and families, subjected to severe ill-treatment including electric shocks, and held under vague charges designed to suppress religious diversity. This blatant religious intolerance directly contradicts the Durban Declaration and international obligations to combat hatred and discrimination. CAP Freedom urges Egyptian authorities to: • Immediately release all detained members • End the persecution of religious minorities • Investigate all allegations of torture • Uphold equal protection and human dignity for all Freedom of religion and belief must be protected. No one should face detention, torture, or discrimination because of their faith. Watch the full statement and join the call for justice.