Mohammad Saeedi-Golpaygani: We curse the Jews according to the Quran

In his Friday prayer sermons, Ayatollah Mohammad Saeedi Golpaygani spoke about cursing Jews according to verses of the Quran.

While the Islamic Republic of Iran promises freedom of religion and belief in its constitution, evidence from the past 46 years shows that this promise has never been fulfilled in practice. Religious minorities in Iran have always faced harassment, repression, imprisonment, and serious crimes, and even in the new regional circumstances, these behaviors have continued with greater intensity.

Following Iran's recent 12-day conflict with Israel, the tone of some Islamic Republic officials in their dealings with Jews has become more public and harsh. Ayatollah Mohammad Saeedi Golpayegani, Khamenei's representative in Qom province, said in Friday prayer sermons yesterday: "The Jewish people are false in their beliefs and corrupt in their practices."

He added in his speech: "In accordance with the Holy Quran, I curse them. Today, we are fully aware of their wickedness and crimes, and we see that they do not respect God, His Messenger, the heavenly books, mosques, people, and anything else."

Saeedi also claimed: "The Iranian people are aware of what he calls the "temptation, deception, deceit, and absurd, treacherous, and deceitful propaganda of the Jewish people" and are praying for the salvation of the people of Gaza."

Human rights experts believe that such statements not only fuel religious hatred and anti-Semitism, but also indicate the continuation of the policy of systematic repression of minorities in Iran. This is while Iran violates its international obligations in the field of freedom of religion and human rights and exposes citizens of religious minorities to constant threat and danger.

According to reports from international organizations, this pattern of repression, ranging from prisons and social restrictions to psychological and legal violence against minorities, continues, and any opposition or protest against it is met with severe repression.

The Islamic Republic's commitment to promoting justice and religious morality, while the reality on the ground shows a double standard and the use of religion as a tool of pressure and repression, which, according to critics, systematically violates basic human rights and fundamental freedoms in Iran.