Parks at Risk; Tehran Mayor's Insistence on Building Mosques in Capital Parks Despite Opposition

Following the rising protests against the construction of a mosque in Qeytarieh Park, Tehran's mayor stated in an interview with reporters: "We will build mosques not only in Qeytarieh Park but in all parks of the capital." Alireza Zakani considered the construction of mosques in the city's parks as one of the fundamental programs of Tehran's municipality and claimed that the concerns of critics regarding the preservation of tranquility in parks and the remaining trees in the capital are "incorrect" and that no trees will be harmed for the construction of these mosques. Concurrently, Nasser Amani, a member of Tehran's City Council, reacted to this municipal action by stating: "Building a mosque in part of Qeytarieh Park is not only not a respect for Islamic rituals but will also lead to the destruction of rituals and distrust among a large segment of citizens." He deemed the Tehran municipality's action illegal on the social media platform 'X' and added: "Any construction in parks, except for essential services, is prohibited, and changing their usage without the approval of legal authorities is seriously forbidden, especially since there are two mosques within 300 meters of Qeytarieh Park, which makes the construction of a mosque in this park unjustifiable." The Secretary of the Council for Organizing, Developing, and Expanding Mosques in Tehran, however, emphasized on April 7 the necessity of building a mosque in Qeytarieh Park, stating: "We assure citizens that the design of this mosque has been entrusted to one of the best architects to enhance the beauty of Qeytarieh Park and the neighborhood, shining like a jewel not only in Qeytarieh but throughout the region." According to statistics, Tehran has about 2,200 parks, with a total area of approximately 5,000 hectares, bringing the per capita urban green space in the capital to 16.33 square meters. The Deputy of the Mosque Affairs Center of Tehran Province also stated in June 2023 that Tehran Province has 3,500 mosques, of which 1,000 are inactive for various opposing reasons.