Iran bans Sunni preacher from traveling to Qatar

By Khalil Selhashor

TEHRAN (AA) - Iranian security forces on Wednesday banned Sheikh Abdul Hamid Ismail Zahi, a prominent Sunni preacher from the city of Zahedan, from traveling to Qatar, according to an Iranian media source.

Mahmud Barhuwayi Nejad, editor of the Balochistan Iran magazine, confirmed the travel ban to Anadolu Agency.

“Zahi arrived from Zahedan to Tehran two days ago and was preparing to travel to Doha [on Wednesday] at the invitation of the Baluchi community there,” he said.

Iranian security forces, however, demanded that he return to Zahedan, according to the same source.

The Iranian authorities, for their part, have yet to comment on the alleged incident.

If confirmed, the travel ban on Zahi would not be the first of its kind. Iran similarly prevented the preacher from traveling to Qatar -- where he had been slated to take part in a conference -- in mid-2013.