First up, from an Iranian-American human rights pressure group, the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI), June 29:
Media Advisory: Grand Ayatollah Issues Fatwa Calling for Murder of President Trump
Iran-based Shia Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi has issued a signed and sealed Fatwa (religious edict) in response to an Estefta (formal religious query), declaring U.S. President Donald Trump “Mohareb” (an enemy of Allah), and has called on “Muslims of the world” to kill the U.S. president, promising them rewards befitting “warriors of Allah.”
The Fatwa has been released by the office of the Grand Ayatollah and published by Islamic Republic state media, including the government-affiliated ISNA, IRGC-linked Fars News and Tasnim News, and Tehran municipality-run Hamshahri.
The family of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Islamic Republic’s founder and first Supreme Leader, has also indirectly endorsed the murder Fatwa, with their news outlet Jamaran publishing and promoting the text.
Text of the Estefta (Formal Religious Query):
“To blessed Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, Marja [religious guide] of Shia Muslims of the world,Over the past few days, U.S. President [Donald Trump] and leaders of the Zionist regime have threatened to assassinate the Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] and other religious leaders.
We implore you to declare what the religious edict [and required response] is for threatening the religious guide and leader of Islamic society. And Allah forbid, if such an act is carried out by the American government or anyone else, what would be the responsibility of every Muslim across the world?
May Allah protect and preserve all religious leaders and the Supreme Leader in the shadow of [Imam Mahdi, the 12th Shia Imam and the promised savior in the sect], and remove the threat of the infidels and enemies of Allah’s faith.
[Signed]: A group of believers and Muslims.”
Text of the Fatwa (Religious Edict):
Anyone who aims to harm the Muslim Ummah [global community of Muslims] and threatens the Supreme Leader or other religious leaders or, Allah forbid, strikes out, is hereby declared Mohareb [enemy of Allah].Any collaboration with or assistance to them is Haram [forbidden] for Muslims and Islamic states.
It is upon all Muslims across the world to make these enemies regret their words and their wrongdoing, and if harm or hardship befalls them, they will be rewarded as Mojaeh [warriors] in the path of Allah, if Allah wills it.
May Allah protect the Islamic society and hasten the arrival of [Imam Mahdi, the 12th Shia Imam and the promised savior in the sect].
What Does Mohareb Mean?
Mohareb is the subject or agent that carries out the act of “Moharebeh,” also spelled “Moharibah,” which is widely translated as “enmity against Allah,” or “waging war against Allah” in English.Surah Al-Ma’idah, Ayat 33 (5:33 Quran) says: “The penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and spread corruption on the Earth is death, crucifixion, cutting off their hands and feet on opposite sides, or exile from the land. This [penalty] is a disgrace for them in this world, and they will suffer a tremendous punishment in the Hereafter.”
As per Article 279 of the Islamic Penal Code in effect in Iran, Moharebeh is punishable by death. The charge is regularly used against dissidents.
Additional Notes....
And from the Tehran Times, June 29:
Fatwas draw a red line: No tolerance for threats against Ayatollah Khamenei
TEHRAN – The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, is more than just a political leader; he is a deeply revered religious figure. As a Marja' al-Taqlid in a position of power, people not only seek his guidance to resolve questions of Islamic law and ethics, but also view him as a central guardian of their faith and its values.This religious standing of Ayatollah Khamenei is something U.S. President Donald Trump seems to have failed to take into account in the past few weeks, during which he has made several threats of assassination against the Iranian Leader.
Trump said during Iran’s 12-day war with Israel that he knew where Ayatollah Khamenei was located, but he had decided to refrain from assassinating him “for now”. Israeli media said the U.S. and Israel tried to harm the Leader but could not figure out his location. Trump threatened Ayatollah Khamenei again after the war ended, outraged by his declaration that Iran will never surrender to American politicians and warmongers.
The U.S. President, meanwhile, appears to believe that any assassination attempt against Ayatollah Khamenei would only trigger a military response from Iran, a price the U.S. military and American forces stationed in West Asia would have to bear. However, there is also a separate price Trump himself would pay, because he has dared to threaten a figure with a massive religious following and profound influence among not only the 200 million Shia Muslims, but also countless more Sunnis who have grown extremely fond of Ayatollah Khamenei for his staunch support of the Palestinian cause in the past 20 months.
The potential repercussions for Trump if he were to act on his outrageous threats were underscored in a statement released by a prominent Shia cleric on Sunday. Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, himself a Marja, responded to an inquiry regarding the U.S. president's escalating rhetoric, stating unequivocally that anyone who harms Ayatollah Khamenei should be punished with death.
In a written note, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi declared: “Any regime or individual threatening the leaders of the Islamic Ummah and acting on those threats qualifies as a Muharib.”
Under Shia Islamic jurisprudence, a “Muharib” is defined as someone who wages armed rebellion, terrorism, violent crimes, or other unlawful acts that spread fear and disorder in society. The prescribed punishment for such offenses is death.
Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi's remarks are being interpreted as a "Fatwa," a religious edict. Iran’s Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani and Iraq's Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani have published similar statements seen as Fatwas.
What is a Fatwa and how serious is it?
A Fatwa is an interpretation of Islamic law issued by a Marja. It is binding for all Muslims, meaning that even if Islamic governments are not able to act on it, individual Muslims should ensure its enforcement.
A well-known example of states failing to act on a Fatwa, prompting individual Muslims to take matters into their own hands, is the case of Salman Rushdie.
On February 14, 1989, Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, issued a historic Fatwa calling for the execution of Salman Rushdie, the British-Indian author of The Satanic Verses, a novel filled with blasphemy against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). The fatwa stated: "I inform the proud Muslim people of the world that the author of The Satanic Verses book, which is against Islam, the Prophet, and the Quran, and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, are sentenced to death. I call on all zealous Muslims to execute them quickly, wherever they find them."
Rushdie was forced into hiding immediately after the fatwa was issued. He was placed under 24/7 British police protection and lived in safe houses for nearly a decade. In 1989, a bomb exploded at a London hotel where Rushdie was scheduled to speak.
Over three decades after the Fatwa was issued, when Rushdie emerged from hiding and began living more openly, the threat had not faded, contrary to his and the police's expectations. In 2022, Rushdie was stabbed on stage in New York by an attacker allegedly acting on the Fatwa. He has since retreated back into seclusion.
