Knife Attack At Iran Shrine During Ramadan Kills Spiritual Leader. Minister Blames 'Blind Movement'

The knife attack took place on April 5 at the shrine of Imam Reza. The shrine is visited by millions every year.

Iranians visit the spot in the courtyard of Imam Reza shrine in the northeastern city of Mashhad where a Muslim cleric was killed (Getty Images)

New Delhi: A deadly knife attack at a holy shrine in the Iranian city of Mashhad on Tuesday, the fourth day of Ramadan, left a spiritual leader dead and two others seriously wounded.

Iran Thursday said the attack was an attempt to divide Muslims and nations, media reports said.

A public funeral procession was held in Mashhad Thursday for the deceased, Mohammad Aslani, and it was attended by thousands, Al Jazeera reported.

Speaking to reporters, Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi condemned the “terrorist” attack and said: “This bitter event shows that the enemy has not ceased its efforts to spread discord.” 

Without naming any specific country or organisation, he said “this is a blind movement crafted by Western countries”. Vahidi also blamed those who spread “takfiri” thinking, the Al Jazeera report said.

“Takfiri” thinking is a term that describes “extremism by Muslims who brand others as apostates and condemn them to death”, according to the report.

Assailant A 21-Year-Old Ethnic Uzbek

The knife attack took place on April 5 at the shrine of Imam Reza. The shrine is visited by millions every year, and large crowds were present in its courtyard when Aslani was attacked.

Quoting news agency Tasnim, the Al Jazeera report identified the assailant as Abdolatif Moradi, a 21-year-old ethnic Uzbek who had allegedly entered Iran illegally via the Pakistani border last year.

A purported video of the attacker reportedly showed him expressing contempt for Shia beliefs.

Other videos showed people at the shrine catching hold of Moradi after pinning him to the ground. The assailant is now in police custody. Media reports said several other people who allegedly assisted him in the attack have been arrested too.

Meanwhile, Iran President Ebrahim Raisi, who previously headed the foundation that runs the Mashhad shrine, Wednesday said “colonialists and hypocrite Muslims must not be allowed to use ethnic and religious divisions to sow discord between Muslims and the people of our country and our neighbours”, according to the Al Jazeera report.