Is A Subterranean ‘Anti-Islamic Revolution’ Going On In Iran?

International

oi-Sanjeev Nayak

A silent wind of “atheism” seems to be blowing over the Islamic Republic of Iran for some time now. It’s in the air but not visible — might be because of the kind of brutal supression the public had to face in the hands of the Khamenei regime during the massive countrywide protests against the State-sponsored killing of young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini for violating the hijab dress code.

It all started in mid-September last year and ran for seven months till mid-April this year. Keen Iran observers suggest that it is still going on, though not violent. An eerie calm has since been prevailing but people are reacting in a different manner – something unprecedented, unheard of so far, a kind of “silent revolution”. Well, they have simply stopped going to the mosques any more.

Observers say that Iran is now left with only the high priests of Islam — mullahs, maulavis, etc — to be called as an Islamic republic. In an eye-opening statement, a senior cleric recently revealed that two-thirds of the mosques in the country have been closed down for want of devotees. As many as 50,000 mosques out of 75,000 went empty for months after the anti-Hijab unrests.

Expressing his disappointment over the dwindling participation in worship, prominent cleric Mohammad Abolghassem Doulabi, who is a member of the influential body responsible for appointing the Supreme Leader and serves as the intermediary between the country’s administration and the seminaries, indicated a massive decline in the number of people attending religious services.

The consequences of religious practices in Iran have resulted in people disengaging from their faith, Maulana Doulabi explained early this month, highlighting the diminishing level of religious devotion within the society and its subsequent impact on the “government’s legitimacy, which is predicated on religious authority.”

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“When individuals observe the outcomes of their religious beliefs, they make the decision to either embrace or abandon their faith,” he stated, adding that factors influencing this decision include “the mistreatment of people in the name of religion”, “misinterpretation of religious principles and teachings” and “perpetuation of poverty and deprivation in the name of religion.”

The comments from such a high-level cleric, who happens to be an integral part of the establishment, have come at a time when an increasing number of Iranians, spanning various age groups, are growing disillusioned with the regime’s use of Islam as the foundation of its despotic rule.