The intention of the Municipality of Tehran to build a new mosque in Qeytariyeh Park, one of the oldest public parks in Tehran, has recently provoked severe public criticism. Opponents of the proposal claim that the construction of the mosque will require the uprooting of ancient trees and will damage the park. Moreover, they contend that there is no need to build another mosque in the neighborhood, which has two large mosques already.
In contrast, supporters of the plan, led by Tehran’s conservative mayor, Alireza Zakani, claim that many citizens have asked for the building of the mosque, and they denied any intention to uproot trees as part of the construction work. According to them, the mosque will provide religious services not only to the residents of the neighborhood but also to all park visitors. Conservative Majles member, Ismail Kothari, who previously served as a senior member of the Revolutionary Guards, referred to the opponents of the mosque as “enemies” and stated that the construction of the mosque is “an arrow in the heart of the enemies of Iran and Islam.”
The debate surrounding the construction of the mosque takes place in the context of the ongoing decline in the status of religion, particularly that of the clerics in Iran, manifested by the declining participation of Iranians in Friday prayers at mosques. Iran has one of the lowest mosque participation rates in the Muslim world. In response to Kothari, journalist and reformist activist Abbas Abdi stated on his X account that the result of “shooting arrows” is that, according to official studies, 75% of young people in Tehran do not attend the mosque even once a year. A website associated with pragmatic circles in Iran also criticized Tehran’s decision and argued that the city does not need a new mosque, as many existing mosques are empty. An article on the website suggests that the city’s decision reflects the fact that the city council, controlled by conservatives, does not represent the majority of the city’s residents and is driven by political and ideological considerations. Consequently, instead of investing in the transportation network, commercial, and cultural centers, and the welfare of the residents, the mayor prefers to build mosques to strengthen his religious support base.
The intention of the Municipality of Tehran to build a new mosque in Qeytariyeh Park, one of the oldest public parks in Tehran, has recently provoked severe public criticism. Opponents of the proposal claim that the construction of the mosque will require the uprooting of ancient trees and will damage the park. Moreover, they contend that there is no need to build another mosque in the neighborhood, which has two large mosques already.
In contrast, supporters of the plan, led by Tehran’s conservative mayor, Alireza Zakani, claim that many citizens have asked for the building of the mosque, and they denied any intention to uproot trees as part of the construction work. According to them, the mosque will provide religious services not only to the residents of the neighborhood but also to all park visitors. Conservative Majles member, Ismail Kothari, who previously served as a senior member of the Revolutionary Guards, referred to the opponents of the mosque as “enemies” and stated that the construction of the mosque is “an arrow in the heart of the enemies of Iran and Islam.”
The debate surrounding the construction of the mosque takes place in the context of the ongoing decline in the status of religion, particularly that of the clerics in Iran, manifested by the declining participation of Iranians in Friday prayers at mosques. Iran has one of the lowest mosque participation rates in the Muslim world. In response to Kothari, journalist and reformist activist Abbas Abdi stated on his X account that the result of “shooting arrows” is that, according to official studies, 75% of young people in Tehran do not attend the mosque even once a year. A website associated with pragmatic circles in Iran also criticized Tehran’s decision and argued that the city does not need a new mosque, as many existing mosques are empty. An article on the website suggests that the city’s decision reflects the fact that the city council, controlled by conservatives, does not represent the majority of the city’s residents and is driven by political and ideological considerations. Consequently, instead of investing in the transportation network, commercial, and cultural centers, and the welfare of the residents, the mayor prefers to build mosques to strengthen his religious support base.