Conflict Between Cultural Heritage and Security Decisions Over Evangelical Church Demolition in Razavi Khorasan
Following the sudden demolition of an evangelical church in one of the areas of Razavi Khorasan Province, a wave of reactions has emerged regarding how religious buildings and historical heritage are handled in Iran. The governor of the province has described the action as “unacceptable” and emphasized that this structure could have been preserved through an alternative decision, rather than being destroyed in a nighttime operation.
In recent days, the news of the demolition of an evangelical church in Razavi Khorasan Province has become one of the controversial topics in the field of cultural heritage and urban management in Iran; an action that, according to local officials, was carried out without provincial coordination and by an organization outside the province.
Gholamhossein Mozaffari, the governor of Razavi Khorasan, speaking at a meeting with economic activists, referred to this incident and said: “This church was a cultural heritage and historical symbol that was unfortunately destroyed due to poor planning; whereas preserving this building was the minimum duty regarding this cultural capacity.”
He also criticized the manner of executing this decision and added that the agents of demolition, according to him, were from some institutions outside the province and this action was carried out without considering the historical and social value of the building.
Mozaffari further stated, referring to the land ownership and the possibility of preventing this incident: “This property was purchased from the Executive Headquarters, and it was demolished at midnight; whereas we were prepared to provide them with an equivalent piece of land with special privileges for construction to prevent the destruction of this heritage.”
He emphasized that this action has brought widespread negative reactions among cultural and social activists in the province and said: “This action has hurt the culturally concerned society,” and announced that he has conveyed his protest and complaints to the relevant deputy ministers at the ministry level in Tehran.
The governor of Razavi Khorasan also, referring to the historical status of this province, said: “Khorasan is the place where Iranian and Islamic civilization connect,” and added that such actions result from a misunderstanding of the historical status and cultural sensitivities of this region.
Finally, he emphasized that national officials must show greater sensitivity to this matter and should not regard it merely as an administrative or property issue, but rather should view it within the framework of protecting the country’s cultural and social heritage.
