WUNRN
IRAN - SENIOR IRANIAN AYATOLLAH SAYS
HIGH SPEED MOBILE INTERNET IS UN-ISLAMIC
August5 27, 2014 - A
Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi said Iranian authorities should introduce measures that would prevent access to the "negative features" of high-speed mobile Internet and 3G services before making them widely available.
Makarem Shirazi, a Shi'ite source
of emulation, said expanding Internet services hastily can result
in the spread of corruption including the access of young people to
anti-Islamic movies and other content.
Makarem Shirazi made the ruling in response to an enquiry by a group of
online activists.
In a statement posted on his personal website, Makarem
Shirazi wrote that authorities should consult with the Supreme Council of
Cyberspace (SCC), which formulates and oversees Iran's Internet policies
including its tough online censorship.
"Authorities should not merely think about the financial earnings
of this program, and consider it as a type of religious intellectualism and
academic freedom," Makarem Shirazi wrote.
The ayatollah added that Iranian judiciary officials should also not
remain "indifferent" regarding this "vital issue."
The online activists had written in their enquiry to Ayatollah Makarem
Shirazi that Iran's Ministry of Communication has announced it will soon give
more mobile providers licenses for high-speed Internet services.
One company, mobile operator Rightel, had exclusive rights to provide 3G
services in Iran, but in recent weeks two other mobile providers have also
obtained 3G licenses. Yet 3G subscribers still account for only a tiny share of
the overall mobile market in Iran.
The activist group added that Iran does not have the necessary
structure to prevent the "harm" that could result from such
services, including "access to immoral movies and photos," "the
weakening of family structures," and "spying and the sale of the
country's confidential information."
The exchange highlights the pressure President Hassan Rohani faces from
hard-liners in implementing his promises to lessen online censorship and give
Iranians greater access to information.
Rohani is the chairman of the SCC, the Internet body that Makarem
Shirazi advised the government to consult. But the Iranian president is not the
sole decision-maker in the SCC, which is dominated by conservative and
hard-line members including the head of Iran's judiciary, the commander of the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp, and the head of state broadcasting.
The oversight body was established in 2012 following a decree by Supreme
Leader Ali Khamenei, who said Iranians should be protected from the
"damage" caused by the spread of information and communication
technologies.
Earlier this year, Rohani said that the Internet should not be seen
as something that should be feared.
"We ought to see [the Internet] as an opportunity. We must
recognize our citizens' right to connect to the World Wide Web," Rohani
was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency on May
The enquiry to Makarem Shirazi and his ruling, however, demonstrate
that, for hard-liners, the Internet remains a cause of concern which they see
as a threat to morality and national security, despite Iran's strict
censorship, which leads to the filtering of thousands of websites and social
media.
It's not the first time Makarem Shirazi has weighed in against 3G. Last
year he spoke against video calls, saying they had more downsides than
benefits.
His latest ruling has sparked criticism online.
"We're already facing filtering. What else do you want? What kind
of nonsensical question is this?" wrote an Internet user in the comments
section of one of the websites that posted Makarem Shirazi's ruling.
"The Internet is as necessary as water and food," wrote
another user, while someone else maintained that the Internet should be seen as
a tool for progress.
"In our backward country we see only the negative sides. According
to this [argument] grapes should be considered haram because they can be used
to produce wine!!!" the user said.
The ayatollah's ruling was also criticized on social media by some
Iranians who said the cleric should not issue statements about issues he's not
familiar with.
"You shouldn't speak about things you know nothing about,"
wrote a young man on Facebook.