Qom; The Record of the Islamic Republic

"Qom" can be referred to as the religious capital of the Islamic Republic; a city that, although it is not the "Shia Vatican," holds a special place in reproducing the ideology and legitimizing the system of Velayat-e Faqih. With a population of about 1.2 million, Qom can be independently evaluated as one of the prominent examples of the Islamic Republic's record; since the government based on absolute Velayat-e Faqih has made significant efforts and spent astronomical amounts for its development and prosperity over the past four decades due to Qom's special importance. Despite all the expenditures (which are manifested, among other things, in the allocation of hundreds of billions of tomans to religious and seminary institutions based in Qom) and various overt and covert supports from the government, the results—based on official data—are thought-provoking and even tragic. Below are some social harms and certain economic indicators; data that, although they should ultimately be evaluated alongside affirmative and positive indicators, are significant enough to warrant attention. "Tsunami" of Divorce Recently, the director general of civil registration in Qom announced that in the year 1395 (2016), 294 divorces were registered each month, or 10 per day. He added that the divorce rate in Qom is the highest in Iran. The judicial deputy of Qom province also reported last summer a 9% increase in consensual divorces, a 4% increase in divorces requested by wives, and a 20% increase in family court cases. This judicial official also reported a remarkable 5,000% increase in alimony claims in Qom province. The director general of social affairs and crime prevention in Qom's judiciary noted that over 50% of divorces involve individuals born in the 60s and 70s, emphasizing that "if a comprehensive and organized program is not devised for this silent earthquake, this issue will turn into a tsunami among those born in the 80s." He added that alongside the legal divorce statistics, about 30 to 40% of families are also experiencing emotional divorce, and this situation is an "extinguished fire whose consequences can lead to many social harms." It is noteworthy that this official still referred to "attention to the role of mosques and religious institutions" as one of the "most important solutions to reduce divorce." This situation has occurred while, according to official data, "infidelity" and "addiction" are the main reasons for seeking help from welfare centers and filing for divorce. The official in charge of victim affairs at Qom's welfare organization added that about half of the divorce applicants have children, and a quarter of them are in the engagement stage. The social harm situation in Qom and the related statistics are such that the director general of welfare in the province has expressed "concern" and, referring to "alarms being sounded," mentioned a "flood of divorce and addiction," adding: "The need to build a new prison indicates that we have not done our job correctly in previous steps and have not achieved our goals." He announced that over a quarter of marriages in this city end in divorce. In the challenge of legal cases and the struggle with addiction, last year the judicial deputy and human resources of Qom's judiciary announced that in terms of legal disputes, Qom ranks first in the country. This judicial official reported a 17% increase in the total number of incoming cases to Qom's judiciary, a 48% increase in civil court cases, and a 34% increase in revolutionary court cases in the year 1394 compared to 1393. A few years ago (1391), the forensic medicine department of Qom reported a 500% increase in deaths due to addiction in the city. This coincides with a decrease in the age of addiction to traditional and industrial drugs, according to official reports. Three years ago, the deputy of the anti-drug headquarters of the presidency announced that Qom has about 50,000 addicts. It should not be forgotten that these are official data; data that are rarely made public. Last autumn, the director general of welfare in Qom spoke of the existence of eight addiction treatment camps in the city, stating that these camps provide services to about 12,000 people each year; perhaps a reference to the "tip of the iceberg" protruding from the ocean. The statistics and consequences of marginalization in Qom are numerous; over 28,000 marginalized individuals live outside the urban fabric and outside the rural fabric in informal settlements. These marginalized individuals not only face numerous problems themselves but also impose their own social issues on the region. The increase in begging statistics in Qom is one of these indicators. Last year, the director general of urban violations prevention and removal in Qom municipality reported the collection of over 1,700 beggars, addicts, and homeless individuals in the first six months of the year 1395, stating that begging in Qom has grown by 35%. Due to its status as a pilgrimage site and its special geographical location, Qom has also become a reference point for migration. Migrants who often settle in these margins and informal settlements. The deputy for social affairs at Qom's welfare organization claims that over 50% of beggars, runaway girls, and street children in Qom come from other provinces; in a way, these individuals are the "overflow of social harms from other provinces." No matter where they come from in Iran, Qom has become an important city for the exposure of social harms in Iran. At the top of the country's accidents, in another noteworthy data related to Qom, it should be mentioned that Qom ranks first in the country for bodily injuries caused by accidents, with the second city having a relatively large gap compared to Qom. A large portion of these injuries affects motorcyclists in Qom. "Disregard for traffic laws and the high number of motorcycles in Qom" are considered significant reasons for this issue. The trend and statistics of driving without a license in Qom are also astonishing; last summer, the judicial deputy and human resources of Qom's judiciary reported a 400% increase in this area. Young traffickers and thieves In another noteworthy indicator, the police chief of Qom province reported a 23% increase in the discovery of smuggled goods last year (1395) compared to the previous year; a data point that indicates an increase in smuggling in the region. This senior police official also reported a "37% increase in arrests" in the field of theft and the "destruction of 27 drug trafficking gangs." This report itself indicates the dimensions of harms and social issues in this region of Iran. In 1393, the head of Qom's criminal police announced the formation of a "central task force to combat theft with the participation of governmental, non-governmental organizations, and the public in Qom," a meaningful action to "combat theft and its increase in Qom province." It is noteworthy that although Qom hosts about 120,000 Afghan nationals, according to the police chief of the province, 82% of those arrested by the police last year were Iranian citizens. Another noteworthy point is that according to the report of the police chief of Qom, most of the detainees over the past year had no prior record; an issue that he describes as "a threat to society." However, the religious capital of the Islamic Republic is also noteworthy from another perspective: conflict, immorality, and quarrels; the judicial deputy and human resources of Qom's judiciary stated that this city ranked second in the country in "intentional assault and battery, quarrels, and immorality" in the year 1395. Shortage of classrooms and hospital beds Regardless of the previous data, one cannot overlook another regrettable indicator; a city that attracts hundreds of billions of tomans in state budget for seminaries and various religious and propaganda institutions affiliated with the government suffers from a severe shortage of educational space. The director general of education in Qom reported a "severe shortage of educational space" in the province and its 26th rank in the country—due to educational space and facilities. The director general of school renovation, development, and equipping in Qom also emphasized that the province needs the construction of 2,780 classrooms and about 229 schools. Meanwhile, currently, 150 other schools in Qom need to be reinforced, and 150 schools need to be demolished and rebuilt. It is noteworthy that the per-student space in Qom is about four square meters, which is 20% less than the national average. Qom houses thousands of seminary students, yet in the current academic year, the seminaries in Qom face a shortage of about 1,500 teachers. The religious capital of the Islamic Republic, which spends billions of tomans on equipping seminaries, also has a shortage of about 2,500 hospital beds and is considered one of the underprivileged provinces in this area. Nearly four decades after the establishment of the Islamic Republic and the establishment of a religious government, Qom is not only grappling with various social harms and issues but has also failed to satisfy the religious authorities and institutions aligned with the government regarding "hijab." In recent years, some members of the Society of Teachers of Qom Seminary or several religious authorities sympathetic to Velayat-e Faqih have expressed dissatisfaction with the increase of what they call "bad hijab," as well as the decrease in the percentage of women wearing "chador" and the increase in the inclination towards "mantle," and the prevalence of the "bad hijab" issue. Qom, which the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic has described as the "most religious city" in Iran, is facing a situation that has been briefly described; a challenge that is unlikely to end soon and easily.