Some mullahs in Iran do not wear aba in public
Several physical attacks against mullahs have been reported in Iran in the past few months
In the holy city of Qom, a woman attacked the mullah, grabbed his turban and threw it under his feet. Mullah to this to the woman due to his warning about the hijab.
This video spread rapidly on the Internet last year. Many praised the woman, none of them had a heart for the mullah. Some even said that he deserved such treatment.
This incident, which resulted in the arrest of the woman, showed the anger of the people against the clerics who came to power after the 1979 Islamic revolution.
RFE/RL’s reporters report that anger and physical attacks on mullahs are increasing in Iran news gives Even some of the clerics said that they do not wear aba and ammam when they go out in public in order not to be targeted. Some religious figures are warning about the increase of public anger against them and their loss of value and prestige in the eyes of the people.
A dissident cleric living in Tehran Abulfazl Najafi-Tehrani He told RFE/RL that the gap between the clergy and the population was caused by the poor performance of the religious establishment in Iran, its interference in the daily life of Iranians, and the inability of the clergy to keep up with modern demands. This gap widened after the revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic.
“In recent years, we have observed an increase in hatred and anger of the people towards the clergy who follow the state policy”, Najafi-Tehrani said.
Several physical attacks against mullahs have been reported in Iran in the past few months. In early June Ali religious leader Ayatollah Ali KhameneiIt was reported that the representative of That man tried to stab him.
Ayatulla was not injured in the attack Yusuf Tabataynejad said in an interview that the young man who attacked him “probably had a problem”, his motives are being investigated.
In early July, a cleric in Isfahan conspiracy was injured as a result of the attempt. A few weeks later, on July 28, the young priest Iran was attacked by several knives while preaching in a temple in Karaj, near the capital.
Imam in Mashhad in April Reza two Iranian clerics were stabbed to death in his tomb, and one was injured. Officials called it a terrorist attack.
It was announced that the attacker was a 21-year-old ethnic Uzbek from Afghanistan with radical Sunni views, and he was executed.
In recent years, mainly mullahs who try to impose Sharia rules, including the hijab, have been targeted among the public.
In April, hard-liner Fars news agency has been under violent attack for the past ten years 20announced the name of more than Three of them were killed and two lost their eyes.
In the first years after the Islamic revolution, the Mujahideen People’s Organization led several clerics conspiracy organized. However, recent attacks have mostly targeted low-ranking clerics and do not appear to have been organized. The state media sometimes presented the attackers as “thugs”. Leading officials have not commented on the attacks.
In his speech in June, Khamenei claimed that the “tendency” of the people to religion has strengthened since the revolution. He is 2020-in USAwas killed in a drone strike general He cited the example of “millions” of people mourning for Qasim Soleimani.
The attacks are taking place against the backdrop of rising anti-establishment sentiment and economic problems in the country. USAAs a result of the sanctions, many people were driven into poverty.
Najafi-Tehrani also says that the population blames the clergy for the problems.
“They demand the retreat of the clergy and the non-interference of religion and clerics in the state. 43 years after the revolution, the ineffectiveness of the administrative system, the structure based on religion has been tested. – he emphasized.
On the other hand, many are dissatisfied with the spending of the state budget on madrasahs. At the beginning of this month, Hojjatulislam Mohammad Hurelahyan warned about the “very sharp” gap between the people and the clergy, and blamed the clergy for that.
In November 2019, a sudden increase in the price of gasoline led to violent protests. At that time, the offices of nine madrassas and Friday sermon leaders were attacked by protesters. They chanted slogans against Iranian leaders including Ayatollah Khamenei.
Najafi-Tehrani says the anger is mostly directed at pro-government clerics. However, he also tries not to wear his aba if he doesn’t have to. After all, people cannot distinguish between those who support the regime and those who do not.