Abolfazl Bahrampur, an Iranian Quran interpreter and translator, was interviewed on Channel 1 of the Iranian TV on November 26, 2019. In the interview, Bahrampur said that according to the Quran, the punishment for protesters should be slaughtering, which is death in agony or chopping off their hands and feet on alternate sides of their bodies. He continued to say that the punishment must be carried out in public and in the place where the crimes were committed and they must be crucified as well, in order to serve as a deterrent for "the people who wait behind the scenes for America's orders." He said that killing 10,000 of the protesters would not be an exaggeration.

To view the clip of Abolfazl Bahrampur on MEMRI TV, click here or below.

"The People Who Acted As America's Armed Soldiers In These Demonstrations... What Is The Quran's Ruling About Them?"

Abolfazl Bahrampur: "The people who acted as America's armed soldiers in these demonstrations, and caused these troubles, thinking that they would bother us and shame us in the eyes of the world – the people who are now under arrest... What is the Quran's ruling about them? Let me read one verse to you."

Interviewer: "Yes, you've prepared it..."

Abolfazl Bahrampur: "Chapter Ma'ida, verse 33 reads... You and the viewers are welcome to enjoy this and see how the Quran goes into detail in these matters. I will explain the words one by one. 'Indeed' which means that this is unequivocal... '...the punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive [to spread] corruption upon the land...' This means that they cause corruption, chaos, insecurity, and so on... What should we do with them? Three rulings are provided and they apply to the people who are now incarcerated in our jails.

[...]

"First, 'they shall be slaughtered.' [The Quran] does not say that they should be 'killed.'"

Interviewer: "What does yuquttalu mean?"

Abolfazl Bahrampur: "Ahhh. One, they should die in agony, not merely be killed. That's what the verse says."

[...]

"If We Use This Measure Once, The People Who Were Prepared For The Next Round Will Not Dare To Do It"

"'...or crucified' which means that they should he hanged, 'or their hands and feet on alternate sides shall be chopped off.' Listen up. If we use this measure once, the people who were prepared for the next round will not dare to do it. This verdict must be carried out in public and in the very same spot where the crime was committed."

Interviewer: "They should be executed or punished, right?"

Abolfazl Bahrampur: "Yes. [The Quran] continues to tell us how the amputation should be done: The right hand along with the left foot. This is extraordinary. You need to chop off four fingers on the right hand along with four toes on the left foot and then you should release them back to society. '...or that they should be expelled from the land.' It means banishing them. The Quran doesn't say that they should be sent to Shiraz to enjoy the weather. They should be sent to the high seas – we can find some wreck of a ship – and they should spend the rest of their lives there until they die."

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"People 'Who Wage War [Against Allah]'... Once They Are Arrested, Repentance Is No Longer Acceptable"

"People 'who wage war [against Allah]' are those in society who use weapons – firearms, cold weapons, even stones – in order to jeopardize the public security and cause fear for no reason.

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"Once they are arrested, repentance is no longer acceptable. This is the position of the Quran.

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"When someone establishes a center for criminal activity... I don't know what it is called... They organize parties for men and women, where there is much obscenity..."

Interviewer: "Is this a Quranic verse?"

Abolfazl Bahrampur: "This is what the commentators say, when they describe the types of people who wage war against Allah. This is another type."

[...]

"According To The Quran, The Punishment Of The People We Arrested Is That They Be Slaughtered, They Must Not Be Killed With A Single Bullet, And That's It"

"According to the Quran, the punishment of the people we arrested is that they be slaughtered. They must not be killed with a single bullet, and that's it. After all, they would like if they could die quickly.

[...]

"First, they should go through all these torments and they should be crucified for all the people to see, so that the people who wait behind the scenes for America's orders will see that these people were hanged and they will serve as an example for others."

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"If We Kill 10,000 Iranians Who Serve As The Enemy's Infantry It Will Not Be An Exaggeration, In Light Of That Verse"

"[The Kharijites] caught a woman in the street, and asked her: 'Do you accept Ali [as your leader]?' The woman said: 'Of course. He's my imam.' The woman was pregnant. They slit her belly open, took the fetus out, and killed the woman in a horrific way. By doing this, they jeopardized the security of society. The Emir of Believers [Ali] fought them and killed 4,000 of them. Do you know what he said when he was done? He said: If I kill 4,000 for the sake of the public's security, it's not exaggerated. Get it? If we kill 10,000 Iranians who serve as the enemy's infantry it will not be an exaggeration, in light of that verse. Security is very important. Without security, there can be nothing. This is very important. This is the opinion of the Emir of the Believers and after all, we are Shi'ites. Many non-Shi'ites also act this way."

Interviewer: "Okay."

Abolfazl Bahrampur: "I even see non-Muslims in the world who act this way."