Clerical Regime Looks To Impose Control Over Iran’s Sunni Seminaries

The Shi’ite clerical regime of Iran appears to be intensifying its repression of the country’s Sunnis under the guise of “reorganizing” their seminaries.

This is being done through the full implementation of a memorandum issued in 2008 by Iran’s Supreme Cultural Revolution Council, a Qom-based conservative-dominated body whose 41 members are appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

President Mahmud Ahmadinejad chairs the body, although any decisions made by the council can be overruled by Khamenei.

In 2008, the council issued a memorandum titled “Bylaws of the Council for Planning Curricula of Sunni Seminaries” (CPCSS), which has 10 articles and four addendums. According to one of the articles, all Sunni seminaries must be managed by the council under the guidance of Ayatollah Khamenei’s representatives.

On June 21, Hojatoleslam Abbas Farzi, the secretary of the CPCSS, told Fars news agency that 98 percent of Sunni seminaries in the country had been reorganized, restructured, and registered. “The aim of the CPCSS is to give services to Sunni clerics…[by] evaluating their qualification, issuing appropriate certificates…and increasing their allowance from September this year,” he said.

Based on an edict of Ayatollah Khamenei, he added, “all [Sunni] seminaries, as well as maintaining their own traditions, should be equipped with up-to-date knowledge of t…

Meet Iranian Singles

Iranian Singles

Recipient Of The Serena Shim Award

Serena Shim Award
Meet your Persian Love Today!
Meet your Persian Love Today!