Khorasan’s scholars spurn Planning Council

Mashhad- Rectors and teachers of Sunni seminaries in Khorasan region, eastern Iran, have refused to accredit the state-run Planning Council for Sunni Seminaries in a letter to the concerned authorities.

“SunniOnline” reported that dozens of Sunni scholars of Khorasan urged on the independence of religious schools spurning the decree of the Planning Council for Sunni Seminaries that had tried to distribute financial credit cards among the students.

‘We accept financial gifts of the government, but we will never get credit cards, named “Parsian Card,” of the Planning Council; because it will authenticate the state-run council,’ they pointed.

In another part of their lucid letter, Sunni clerics underline saying, ‘As Shia Maraje’, religious scholars, emphasize on the independence of seminaries and religious centers repeatedly, and explicit words of the Supreme Leader and the constitution in this regard, we can not accept invalid papers for teaching permission of our teachers; this is a clear interference in our internal affairs.’

The Iranian officials have been striving to impose the rescript of the Supreme Cultural Council that is for controlling Sunni seminaries. Despite severe objections of outstanding Sunni figures, the authorities try to implement this outlawed order.

Few days ago, all heads and teachers of Sunni seminaries in Sistan-Baluchistan announced their firm decision of spurning the Planning Council of the regime.

It is pertinent to mention that the Supreme Cultural Council, supervised by president Ahmadinejad, established a planning council for Sunni religious schools few years ago. Most of the members of the council are Shiite. Despite stern rejection of Sunni scholars, the government has been striving to implement their decisions by force.

The state-built council has reserved the right for itself to change curriculum of Sunni seminaries as well as to appoint/dismiss teachers and rectors of the seminaries.

Source: SunniOnline.us