‘Ayatollah Khamenei Is A Red Line’: Shia Muslims In UP Protest Against Israel

Last Updated:June 23, 2025, 16:38 IST

Protests in Lucknow were marked by emotional slogans, fiery speeches, and collective prayers for Iran amid tensions in the Middle East

The clerics in Lucknow said every free human was praying for Ayatollah Khamenei’s protection. (AFP)

Tremors of tensions in the Middle East were felt in India on Sunday as thousands of Shia Muslims took to Lucknow’s streets late on Sunday night, torching Israeli flags and denouncing US threats against Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

At the heart of the protest was the Dargah Hazrat Abbas in old Lucknow, where nearly 2,000 people gathered past midnight as part of the annual “All India Centre Board of Azadari" meeting—a pre-Muharram convention typically focused on procession planning and community coordination. But this year, it turned into a thunderous display of political dissent.

Chants of “Israel Murdabad", “Netanyahu Murdabad", and “Ayatollah Khamenei Zindabad" echoed through the shrine complex. Protesters waved Iranian flags and placards condemning what they called “Israeli aggression" and “American hypocrisy". The war in Gaza and increasing threats against Iran, they said, had pushed them to speak out.

Speaking to News18, Meesam Rizvi, mutawalli (caretaker) of the Dargah, said: “Every year, we organise this meeting to coordinate Muharram processions peacefully. But this year, we couldn’t stay silent. Israel has spilled the blood of innocents—women and children in Gaza—and now they are threatening the spiritual leader of our faith. Ayatollah Khamenei is a red line."

Rizvi added that Israel is “losing the war" and hence relying on US to pressure Iran. “Netanyahu knows he cannot face Iran alone. Iran is not like the Arab regimes who kneel. Iran resists, and that’s what we admire."

The protest was marked by emotional slogans, fiery speeches, and collective prayers for Iran. Hundreds of Shia community leaders from across India had arrived in Lucknow for the gathering and lent their voices to the cause.

Just days earlier, another powerful protest was held at the historic Asafi Masjid after Friday prayers, led by senior Shia cleric Maulana Syed Kalbe Jawad Naqvi. The protesters burned Israeli flags, raised slogans against US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu, and accused Indian media outlets of defaming Iran’s Supreme Leader.

Maulana Jawad said: “Ayatollah Khamenei is not just Iran’s leader—he’s the religious guide of the entire Shia world. If even a single hair on his head is harmed, we will make sure Americans and Israelis find India’s land too narrow for their feet."

He added: “We Shias do not hide in bunkers. We raise flags of resistance or fall as martyrs. Cowards like Netanyahu hide in bunkers."

The clerics also raised questions about India’s current foreign policy approach toward Israel and Palestine. Maulana Jawad invoked Mahatma Gandhi and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, both of whom had supported the Palestinian cause, and rejected the legitimacy of the Israeli occupation.

“India has always stood with the oppressed. From Nehru to Vajpayee, India opposed Israel’s illegal occupation. That legacy must not be abandoned," he said.

Several other clerics echoed similar sentiments. Maulana Ehtesham Abbas Zaidi said: “Israel is a terrorist state responsible for the destruction of an entire region. By attacking Iran, it has confirmed its nature."

Maulana Raza Haider Zaidi, deputy Imam-e-Juma, said: “Only slaves of Israel are silent today. Every free human is praying for Ayatollah Khamenei’s protection. The

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