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The Eroding Status of Iranian Clerics

(Institute for National Security Studies-Tel Aviv University) Raz Zimmt - Recently published testimonies by Iranian clerics reflect their mounting concern with the ongoing erosion of their public status among the general population. Until the Islamic Revolution, clerics were associated with the popular struggle for social justice and against political oppression, and this was a significant factor in the support they received from the people. Today, clerics are associated with the Islamic regime and are seen as the executors of regime policy. Furthermore, their relatively favorable economic status distances them from the people. As the status of clerics erodes, the public continues to distance itself from religion, resulting in poor attendance in the mosques. Clerics today are largely perceived as irrelevant, primarily by members of the young generation. The ongoing erosion of the status of clerics could prove detrimental to the very legitimacy of the regime and pose a significant challenge to it. The writer is a research fellow at INSS.
2018-10-18 00:00:00
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