Pezeshkian meets with top Shia clerics in Qom
Qom, Iran’s spiritual hub, is a city that punches above its weight in the Islamic Republic’s religious and political landscape. With numerous religious centers and seminarians and a large population of clerics, Qom has become a hotbed of Shia scholarship and a key player in Iran’s power dynamics. The presence of prominent Shia clerics has catapulted Qom’s reputation beyond Iran’s borders, making it the epicenter of Shia politics and spirituality worldwide.
The city’s clerical elite, along with some influential religious institutions based in Qom, wield considerable sway both among the public and within Iran’s theocratic government. In this context, President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Qom on Thursday and his separate meetings with top Shia authorities take on added significance.
During such visits, Iranian government officials typically brief the clerics on the country’s situation and their policy initiatives, while also seeking their guidance and counsel. As Pezeshkian said upon arrival in Qom, “We aim to pay our respects to the clerics and solicit their advice.”
Pezeshkian’s one-day visit included meetings with Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli, Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, Ayatollah Hossein Nouri Hamedani, Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, and Ayatollah Mousa Shobeiri Zanjani, as well as a representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the prominent Shia cleric based in Iraq.
As per local media, the meetings touched on a range of pressing issues such as the economic situation, people’s livelihood challenges, the need to boost national unity, regional developments, Israeli atrocities in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon and the recent escalation of tensions between Iran and Israel.
Javadi Amoli, in his meeting with Pezeshkian, emphasized that the Iranian people were not warmongers, but warned, “If war is imposed on us, we will respond decisively.” He also urged officials to redouble their efforts to address the country’s economic woes and meet people’s needs.
Makarem Shirazi called on the president to take swift and firm action to tackle the housing crisis, while Nouri Hamedani commended Pezeshkian’s stance on supporting the Resistance Front fighting Israel and standing up to the “child-killing Zionist regime.” He emphasized,
“America is our enemy, and we should not trust our enemies,” he added.
Sobhani expressed dismay at the failure of some Muslim countries to condemn Israel’s war crimes, saying, “The silence of so many Muslims in the face of such carnage is unprecedented in Islamic history.”
After hearing Pezeshkian’s remarks, Shobeiri Zanjani pledged his support for the president and the government, saying, “I pray for your success.”
Throughout the meetings, Pezeshkian highlighted his government’s efforts to address problems, alleviate discontent, and foster national unity, as well as the need for unity among Muslim nations.
The fact that all the top clerics in Qom received Pezeshkian warmly suggests has a good standing among these great influential figures.