The cleric came under scrutiny after a video of his remarks during pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia surfaced online. In the footage, Qasemian criticized the kingdom’s evolving social structure and compared the holy sites to tourist destinations like Antalya. Within hours, he was detained by Saudi authorities.
Khorasan notes that Iranian officials had repeatedly instructed pilgrims to refrain from political or critical statements while in Saudi Arabia. The editorial stresses that what began as an individual incident has become a larger diplomatic issue due to some internal factions glorifying Qasemian’s actions.
The newspaper draws attention to Qasemian’s history of involvement in high-profile protests, including controversial gatherings outside the British and Saudi embassies.
It argues that his repeated appearances in politically charged moments reflect a troubling pattern that confuses bravery with recklessness.
The editorial concludes by emphasizing Iran’s need for diplomatic wisdom and moderation over “polarizing heroism” that, in its view, brings only cost and no benefit to the country.
Several Iranian officials denounced Qasemian’s comments.
