Plan to Deploy Clergy in Banks Approved by Ali Khamenei
Ali Khamenei approved the plan to “deploy clergy in banks” as cultural and religious planners.
Youssef Tabatabai, the Supreme Leader’s representative in Isfahan, spoke about the “plan to deploy clergy in banks,” which has been referred to as the “cultural and religious planners” program. This plan, which was previously announced last year by Gholamreza Mesbahi Moghaddam, head of the Central Bank’s jurisprudential council, and received Ali Khamenei’s approval, sparked numerous critical reactions following the publication of related news, prompting officials to deny its implementation.
Youssef Tabatabai said yesterday, Wednesday, September 15th, in a gathering of managers and deputy managers of Sepah Bank branches in Isfahan: “Although I do not support the departure of educated clergy and cultural elites from the seminary due to distancing from lessons and debate, the presence of some clergy in the institutions and government agencies such as banks, including Sepah Bank, is a necessity, and this does not prevent clergy from continuing their religious studies, as there are possibilities for recording teaching files and online education for them.”
He also stated regarding the provision of bank loans to citizens: “We should not give loans to everyone, but only to those who have the ability to repay. The billions of arrears in banks are due to managers’ negligence on this issue.”
His remarks regarding the provision of banking facilities to citizens came at a time when financial corruption cases from the past to the present have shown that bank arrears have resulted from the allocation of large loans to government-affiliated individuals. Furthermore, contrary to his statements, all banks are so strict in providing facilities—and in very limited amounts to ordinary citizens—that many people refrain from taking loans, while facilities are provided to government officials and their associates without any strictness and in substantial amounts.
The system, with its recent actions including the removal of experienced and specialized professors and their replacement with unqualified individuals, the arrest and imprisonment of educated and critical individuals, the arrest of journalists, human rights activists and others, has not only made itself a laughingstock but now, with an unwise decision, has proceeded to deploy clergy in banks. The system itself does not know what it wants from government, the state, and the nation, and so far has acted contrary to human rights laws and the constitution, and in pursuit of prolonging the rule of its fragmented regime, is searching for solutions.
