ICC Note:  Tehran has increased its budget for Shi’a religious institutions to $50 million. This controversial move comes as Iranians complain that the regime cannot render basic services. Some see this as a reaction to the ever increasing number of Iranians who are converting to Christianity. By increasing its budget for religious institutions, Tehran is making a statement that it will do all it can to protect Islam in the nation’s capital.          

05/08/2018 Iran (Radio Farda) –   Tehran municipality has allocated more than 220 billion rials (roughly $50 million) budget to propagate “insight, culture and values” in the current Iranian fiscal year (ending March 20, 2019).

“Insight”, “culture” and “values” are vague terms typically used in the Islamic Republic to describe propaganda for the conservative version of Shi’ism.

According to “RoozArooz” (Day to Day) website, Tehran municipality has also allocated a separate budget to assist Shi’ite “religious societies and associations” in the capital.

The richer a neighborhood in Tehran, the more money it will receive from the City Hall, “RoozaArooz” has reported. A secular life style is more prevalent in Tehran’s well-to-do neighborhoods than in the poorer districts where people are more religious.

News concerning the municipality financial assistance to religious affairs has repeatedly been criticized on social media. Tehran municipality, accused of widespread financial corruption, is incapable to render basic services to the citizens, critics argue, and add that when you cannot provide the required services, it doesn’t make sense to assist affairs and activities not related to the municipality.

Last February, a prominent city reporter, Yashar Soltani disclosed that Tehran municipality, under its so-called reformist mayor, Mohammad Ali Najafi paid $360,000 to a Shi’ite Society affiliated with a renowned religious eulogist.

Najafi, an MIT educated, newly elected mayor was forced to resign on April 10 in what was seen as persistent pressure by conservatives and hardliners. The new mayor had been revealing widespread corruption during the previous city administration led by a former IRGC commander.

However, Tehran municipality’s large financial donations to religious entities including mosques and Hossainiyehs, during Najafi’s predecessor, IRGC General Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, was a routine procedure.

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