Naser Makarem Shirazi and Jafar Subhani, two Shia clerics residing in Qom, criticized the two-week Nowruz holidays, stating that these holidays are detrimental to the country and seminaries. According to Mehr News Agency, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi stated on Wednesday, March 26, during his advanced jurisprudence class in Qom, that 'long public holidays harm the country.' He considered the new Persian year holidays to cause 'the disruption of the social cycle' and suggested granting leave to employees as a way to reduce official holidays in Iran. He noted, 'Long holidays cause the country to lag behind, while in developed countries, their holidays may not even be a third of our holidays.' A group of Shia clerics in Iran has been criticizing the Nowruz holidays for years and calling for their reduction, yet they remain silent regarding religious holidays in the country. The Supreme Cultural Revolution Council has announced that there are 15 religious holidays in Iran per year, and since the seventh parliament, efforts by representatives to reduce these holidays have been fruitless. On March 6, 2013, Makarem Shirazi had also reacted to this proposal, stating to parliament members, 'This will not be feasible at any cost; ridiculous proposals are being made, and it seems some do not know in which country they live.' This cleric warned, 'We respect the parliamentarians, but those who harbor this naive thought should know that the entire nation will stand against them.' Ayatollah Jafar Subhani, another cleric opposed to reducing religious holidays in Iran, has expressed concern about the length of Nowruz holidays. According to Hawza News Agency, this cleric stated on Wednesday morning at the end of his last principles of jurisprudence class of the year 94, 'If we want to close the seminaries for any excuse, with this lesson, we will not get anywhere.' Subhani made this remark in response to the closure of some seminaries last week under the pretext of Nowruz. The clerics criticize the length of Nowruz holidays while only six days are recognized as national holidays in Iran, and four days are designated as 'revolutionary holidays.' The parliament has aimed to reduce the number of official and public holidays in Iran for several years, but disagreements over the elimination of national, religious, and revolutionary holidays have rendered this proposal ineffective.
Criticism from Two Shia Authorities on the Length of Nowruz Holidays
Two prominent Shia clerics in Iran have criticized the two-week Nowruz holidays, arguing that they harm the country's progress and disrupt social activities. They suggest reducing the length of these holidays while remaining silent on religious holidays. This issue highlights ongoing tensions between religious authorities and governmental efforts to reform holiday policies.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Two prominent Shia clerics criticized the two-week Nowruz holidays, arguing they harm Iran's progress and disrupt social activities. They suggest reducing these holidays while remaining silent on religious holidays.
- Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi and Ayatollah Jafar Subhani criticized the length of Nowruz holidays.
- They argue that long holidays harm the country's progress and suggest reducing them.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Nowruz is the Persian New Year, celebrated widely in Iran and marked by a two-week holiday. Religious holidays are numerous and significant in Iran, often prioritized over national holidays.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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