Kamangir (Archer)

Humiliating “Truth”

Kamangir | June 16, 2006 | Category Iran

I have never understood how cruel people can be when they expose their children to their own system of belief in a humiliating way. Probably it happens when you “believe” in what you think is the final truth in the world so much you don’t care if your child may want to think again. Maybe you think if they do it for themselves and “if they can find the path” then the solution would be identical to yours. So, why bother? Lets push them in and get them engaged with the truth as soon as possible.
I am sure Muslims are not the only people who are committing this. Though, to my experience with Muslims, they do it as if they are feeding their children. That food, to my opinion, is the bitter sense of “I have to follow”.
An essential part of the today’s practice of Islam is following (Persian: تقلید). Actually, the top clerics, such as Sistani, Khomeini, and Khameneii, are not only clerics, they are spiritual leaders. According to them, one of the first steps that a Muslims should take is to select a top cleric and to follow him (there are not many women involved in this business) in basically everything, from the way you get married to the first foot you put in the bathroom when you go in. Recently, this doctrine was criticized by people like Kadivar and Ashkevari, both of whom are clerics. Both were sent to jail and Ashkevari was banned from wearing mullah clothing.
The pictures are taken in Friday prayers in Tehran and Qom.