Iran: Training Centers for Terrorism and Fundamentalism Set on Fire

In the past few weeks, as well as protesting against increases in gas prices, protesters have been attacking seminaries. Under the mullahs’ regime, the purpose of seminaries has been perverted, and they have become centers for Terrorism and Fundamentalism.

In the 11th century AD, the first Shia seminary was established in the city of Najaf, Iraq. Hozeye Elmieh is the Islamic name for religious education and research centers. Many seminaries were built. After the 1979 islamic revolution in Iran, the mullahs completely changed the focus of religious seminaries. Rather than being places of religious scholarship, they became centers for fundamentalism, where the mullahs trained spies, terrorists, and fundamentalist missionaries.

The aim of the mullahs was to fill the seminaries with students (Talabeh) from Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Lebanon, and countries in other continents, including South America and Africa. They wanted to instill fundamentalist views into their minds and train them in organized terrorism. They brainwash the Talabeh to embed their ideology.

Once trained, they would be sent to cities inside and outside Iran.

These centers also support the needs of terrorist sleeper cells outside of Iran and provide resources for them. In addition, they educate regime leaders and religious judges to advance the judicial goals of the regime and to legitimize behaviors such as stoning and amputation and justify their violation of human rights in the name of Islam.

Seminary funding is provided by one of the Supreme Leader’s institutions.

During the extensive protests sparked by gas prices hikes, which began on November 15, protesters demonstrated their disgust with the mullahs’ regime by attacking these seminaries.

One such attack was on the Kazeroon Seminary in Fars province. As well as burning part of the building, regime bicycles and motor cycles were burned.

burned seminary, a center for terrorism and fundamentalism.
The burned Kazeroon seminary in Fars province.

Here is how a member of the Kazeroon seminary described the attack:

On Saturday morning, November 16th, the city of Kazeoon was disordered and protesters were heard from afar. For us in seminary, the news was distressing and disturbing. By evening, the protesters’ attacks and the damage to government facilities and property intensified.

The seminary has two courtyards. When the protesters invaded the first courtyard, a group of students rushed into the second courtyard and blocked the door so that the protesters could not enter. But the problem was that except for the front yard, the rest were wooden doors, and the protesters broke all the doors and entered.

They had all kinds of amenities. So much damage was done, often in the form of fires; protesters burned 3 cars, 6 motorcycles, a security room, a computer room, a deputy’s room, a library study hall and several rooms upstairs.

When they reached the door tried to get in with no success, they then set fire to the side room to pressure the students.

The clash lasted about an hour and a half and the students were locked up in the rooms. The protesters were beating anyone with a cold weapon in their hands.

The protesters did not say anything at first, but as their numbers grew; they began to chant anti-clerical slogans and kept calling on the manager of the seminary. They also knew the name of the manager. The conflict ended without anyone being killed, and the day after the accident we returned to the site and began clearing the site of demolition and fire, but it would take a long time to rebuild.

The morale of some students, especially new entrants, was not good.

Administrators at the Kazeroon Seminary have suspended classes until the beginning of next week, and sent students back to their own cities.

Hassan Mahmoudi
Hassan Mahmoudi is a human rights advocate and Social Media journalist seeking democracy for Iran and peace for the region.