This is a picture of a beautiful sunset.
Maryam Shafiepour

The first time I stepped out of the big gates of Evin prison after months, a group under Evin bridge caught my attention. About 50 people, silently holding placards. The minibus picked up speed and my eyes slid over the writings, leaving me barren. Taheri’s disciples! Newer comrades told me that for the freedom of the “master”, they had been threatened, beaten and arrested.

For me, as someone who has experienced participating in civil protests, and for many others whom I have talked to about this issue, the unity and continuity of protests and gatherings of supporters and students of Taheri were a source of curiosity and questions; from the perspective that with understanding and learning from such movements, a successful pattern can be created for similar cases. Surely, understanding the beliefs of members of the circle of mysticism, their class and origins, and their social positions, as well as the way and intensity of dealing with protesters, etc., are among the main factors in how a street protest movement forms and continues.

I asked the members of the circle of mysticism about the teachings and experiences during this one-year course. What concerns, problems, and needs do the participants have and what achievements do they gain during these classes.

Siavash Azarmi, one of the coaches (known as “Master”) of the Sufi circle, believes that the desire for healing physical and mental illnesses and some similar needs in individuals is the primary reason for their curiosity in the initial stages. Problems that are significantly improved during the first period with the help of complementary medicine. He says, “When someone sees that in a short period of time, with the help of ‘Fardarmani’, a large part of their problems such as depression, phobias, temporary insanity, insomnia, lack of concentration, etc. are resolved, they become interested in continuing the path.” He receives the answers to the fundamental questions of humanity, such as “Where do I come from and where am I going?” and “Why have I been born into this world?” in the easiest and most comprehensive way possible and deeply understands the influence of time and existence in their daily life. Also, Roxana Haq Talab, the head of

Mohammad Ali Taheri was arrested three times by the Revolutionary Guards during the course of four years. The first protest gathering of his students took place in 92, two years after his last arrest (in April 90) in Tehran and gradually spread to other countries by his supporters. Despite physical confrontations, arrests, and heavy sentences, the gatherings in Tehran have continued until today. According to the classified list of “Statistics, Publications, and Works of the Collection of Human Rights Activists in Iran”, from 1389 (after the second arrest of the founder of the Erfan Circle) until now, 208 people have been arrested in relation to this group, and out of this number, 31 people have been sentenced in court. This number does not include group arrests.

Roxana Haqiqat Talab says: “The students of Master Mohammad Ali Taheri consider their lives indebted to his opinions and his person, and for this reason, they have no hesitation in giving any amount of money. On the other hand, unity within the circle of mysticism, despite differences in taste among individuals, is an undeniable matter in the direction of their freedom. His students, from every social class, stand side by side when their master is present, and demand and will continue to demand their rights.” Siavash Azarmi says: “The suppression of Taheri’s supporters has had an impact depending on the severity and timing of the incident, but it has never caused any damage to its overall and long-term process.”

Some believe that in the final days of 1389, the speech of Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the leader of Iran, emphasized the need to fight against what he called “false mysticism” or non-traditional and imported beliefs, and that there was an increase in security and intelligence attacks against Sufis and other groups who were trying to explain their religious beliefs outside of the official channels. Spiritual and mystical groups were also not spared from this.

Roxana and Siavash both claim that during the third and final arrest of Taheri, at least one million applicants had filled out the “Term One” registration form! Roxana says: “Despite the fact that Mr. Taheri’s ideas were initially well received by the religious and university community, to the extent that he held courses in complementary and alternative medicine (founded by Mr. Taheri) for the medical, psychiatric, and geriatric community under the supervision of the University of Tehran School of Medicine, and had numerous positive sessions with experts in the field, with increasing popularity on one hand and positive results in alternative medicine on the other, and most importantly, the broadcast of the documentary “Taher Project” on quitting addiction from the national radio and television, the power mafia, drugs and narcotics, tried to prevent the spread of their ideas by falsely accusing them and then thought of removing Mr. Taheri.” Siavash adds that: “The security crackdown on Tah

Alizadeh Tabatabaei, the lawyer of Mohammad Ali Taheri, refers to doubts and violations of laws regarding the reissuance of the death sentence for Taheri and says: “The death sentence against Taheri was issued based on Article 286 of the Islamic Penal Code, which was approved in 2013, approximately 3 years after Mr. Taheri’s imprisonment. The law cannot apply to activities that took place before its approval.”

He has stated that Article 286 deals with the subject of corruption on earth, which before the approved changes in 2013 was associated with combat and could not include Mr. Taheri’s actions.

Mr. Tabatabaei says: “Regarding the accusations that have been raised by the Supreme Court of the country, namely blasphemy, apostasy, collusion and rebellion, and related charges of disobedience, a ban on prosecution has been issued.”

Although gatherings of members of the “Erfan Circle” group are based on heartfelt devotion to the “master” and centered around seeking justice and protesting against injustice towards an individual, they are still significant in many ways compared to similar groups. These organized, motivated, persistent gatherings with clear demands can also serve as a place for political and social activists to express their curiosity and frustration. Many religious, ethnic, and professional minorities have public demands and protests against the violation of their rights, but they often prefer to negotiate or lobby with influential individuals and institutions, both domestically and internationally, in secret. After the successful gatherings of Naserin Sotoudeh in pursuit of her right to representation, if the unprecedented protests of Erfan Circle members lead to results, it will be another confirmation of the effectiveness of street protests.