Friday Prayers in Iran: Universities, Unity, and JCPOA

(Photo: Friday prayers in Gorgan, northern Iran; Ali Akbar Jafari/Mehr News)

The Friday prayers of Iran in this week covered a wide range of themes, from Islamization of universities, to post-JCPOA infiltration, and parliamentary elections.

In Tehran, where the largest-covered Friday prayers takes place, Ayatollah Kazem Sedighi mildly criticized President Hassan Rouhani for his "biting" remarks in the opening ceremony of the Press Expo held last week in Tehran. "This tone does not befit a president" he said. "It shouldn't be that one cares excessively about his tone when talking to foreigners, but take a different tone when attacking the insiders".

Following Ayatollah Khamenei's remarks during his meeting with heads of universities and research institutes on Nov 11, Friday prayers' leaders outlined the characteristics of an ideal university. In Ahwaz, Ayatollah Mousavi Jazayeri warned about the defeatist, "we can't" attitude that views the gap between Iran and the US and European countries as insurmountable. He called such an attitude a "cardinal sin since it demoralizes the people." Jazayeri also complained that 'some' equate cultural activities with "mixing between girls and boys." In Hamedan, Western Iran, Ayatollah Mohammadi also expressed concern about the decline in the number of academic publications in universities. "Such regressions do not suit a Shia revolutionary nation," he asserted.

Friday prayers' leaders in Azeri regions addressed a recently-aired TV program which was regarded as offensive against the Azeri community. In Tabriz, Ayatollah Al-e Hashem called for the state-run TV to tighten supervision over its productions, so such insults would never take place against any ethnicity. In Zanjan, Ayatollah Ali Khatami called those who provoke the nation by "questioning" ethnic communities 'enemies' whose purpose is to undermine unity of the nation.

The JCPOA was not left out by the Friday prayers' leaders. In Khorramabad in Western Iran, Hojjat-ol-eslam Mottaqinia called the JCPOA a "test" that should be carried out under the supervision of the Supreme Leader. "The Supreme Leader's demands regarding the JCPOA and the post-sanctions era is the signpost for officials" he said. Mottaqi also warned officials not to be deluded by the enemy's tactics in the post-JCPOA era. "Our enemies seek regime change and we should be wary of their infiltration" he added. Similar concerns were expressed by the Friday prayers leader of Yazd, Ayatollah Nasseri. "The officials should not pave the way for the Westerners' infiltration," he said, implicitly referring to the recent controversy over the opening of a KFC branch in Tehran.