35 Years After Edict Against Salman Rushdie, Iranian Cleric Issues New Fatwa — This Time Against Trump

A prominent Shiite religious cleric in Iran has issued a fatwa, or religious decree, calling for the heads of President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, whose recent attacks on Iran he says make them eligible for the death penalty. Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shiraz issued the religious ruling Sunday, saying that anyone who threatens or assaults the Islamic Republic, its religious leadership — including Ayatollah Khamenei — and its adherents has effectively waged war against God and must be made to regret their words and actions.Ayatollah Makarem’s decree, issued following the so-called 12-Day War in which Israel and America are believed to have extensively damaged Iran’s nuclear program, also states that it is forbidden for any Muslim to cooperate or support the two leaders. However, any jihadist who is harmed or killed while trying to take them out will receive a reward from Allah, the decree said. Citing Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, the fatwa calls for Messrs. Trump and Netanyahu — or any Muslim who helps them — to die by “execution or crucifixion” or face “amputation of the right hand and left foot or exile.”A British-Iranian podcaster, Niyak Ghorbani, said the decree, which appeared on Iranian state media, is a threat not just to Iranians, but a global danger.“This is a clear act of state-backed incitement to international terrorism. The West must realize: the Islamic Republic is not only targeting its own people — it is preparing for global violence in the name of religion,” Mr. Ghorbani posted on X.A former Canadian Progressive Conservative provincial parliamentarian, Goldie Ghamari, who is of Iranian descent, also said that the fatwa is meant as a rallying cry. “This is more serious than you think,” Ms. Ghamari, who was ousted from her caucus in 2024 for meeting with an anti-immigrant British filmmaker, Tommy Robinson, said. “Now, every single Muslim radical in the west who chants ‘Globalize the Intifada,’ talks about their Islamic Ummah, and glorifies their ‘Axis of Resistance’ will be targeting President Trump.”Novelist Salman Rushdie at the Bohemian National Hall at New York on November 14, 2023. James Brooke/The New York SunIranian clerics have issued similar fatwas in the past, the most famous of which targeted the author Salman Rushdie following publication of his novel “The Satanic Verses,” which many Muslims deemed blasphemous.The fatwa, issued in 1989, forced Mr. Rushdie into years of hiding and led to the murder of a Japanese translator of his work and assaults on publishers of the book. In 2022, the fatwa was cited by a New Jersey man, Hadi Matar, when he stabbed Mr. Rushie several times during a speech about freedom of expression in upstate New York.Mr. Rushdie lost sight in his right eye and suffered damage to his liver and hand in the attack. Hamdi was later found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. As the clerics encourage followers to carry out the decree, the Islamic Republic has reportedly been conducting mass executions in recent weeks, arresting more than 700 alleged “Israeli mercenaries” and killing more people over a 48-hour period last week than were killed in the 12 days of war. Groups outside the country are warning Iranians who want to contribute to regime change not to demonstrate their support on social media for fear they may be targeted by Iranian security forces. Mossad’s Iranian-speaking X account said it had been reviewing the identities of its followers and noted, “For your safety, it is necessary to remind and emphasize — you, dear people of Iran, can continue to view our content from within Iran, but please refrain from following the page or reacting to the published content.”The son of a former shah, Reza Pahlavi, also issued a warning after urging Iranian military, law enforcement, security, and government forces “whose hands are not stained with the blood of the nation” to join a secure communication channel but to avoid “sharing, scanning, or filling out any code or form on social media,” which could be traced to individuals seeking to break ranks with Iran’s leadership.

35 Years After Edict Against Salman Rushdie, Iranian Cleric Issues New Fatwa — This Time Against Trump

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