Pedestrian

Tourjan is a weblog maintained by two clerics-in-training in Qom. This is their latest post.

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If we are not well aware of the intricacies of Qom, we’d find it hard to believe that a wide spectrum of Iran’s political and religious beliefs are situated in one street, only one hundred and sixty meters long. Safaaeeyeh street, which was renamed Shohada [Martyrs] street after the revolution, is the main street in the city of Qom. The street begins with the office of Ayatollah Montazeri, and ends with the office of Ayatollah Khamenei. This is a street you can walk through in less than 15 minutes, but you’ll need more than 15 years to study what goes on in each of these offices. In this street, you’ll find a slew of small publishing houses, offices and religious organizations, but the main highlights are the offices of the grand ayatollahs. We’ll start from the North West side of the street:

This is where the office of Ayatollah Montazeri is located. The home of the ayatollah is right by the office such that a small door in between the two buildings serves as his daily route. Official visitors come through this door, but the main door to his home is located on the other side of the street, where the home of Ayatollah Sanei is also located.

Due to their common cultural, religious and political affiliations, Ayatollahs Sanei and Montzeri have a close relationship. Ayatollah Sanei’s home is right opposite his office. Sanei takes a reformist stance in politics and also in his teachings, and he approaches traditional Islamic texts in new, innovative ways.

Near Ayatollah Sanei’s office is Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani’s office [the eldest Larijani brother who is the head of the judiciary]. Larijani was known as one of the better instructors in Qom, but he’s since taken administrative positions in the government and does not teach as much.

The old home of the late Ayatollah Tabatabie is after Larijani’s. The late Ayatollah Mohagheh Damad’s [father of Mostafa] home is beside Tabatabie’s.

Opposite two main reformist centers, is the office of The Association of the Instructors of Qom, a very traditional center which had the greatest disagreements with Mir Hossein even during the early years of the revolution. Ayatollah Yazdi, a former head of the judiciary currently leads this association.

About 50 steps after that is the Islamic Advocacy Office which is one of the strongest critics of the Association. These days, this office has more of an intellectual air and regularly invites speakers, writers and artists.

…………. [he goes through the famous ayatollahs one by one which I don't think are interesting unless you know about them.]

By now, you probably have a picture of the Vatican in your mind when you think of this street. But this isn’t a complete picture. As much as this street is attractive to traditional ayatollahs, it is also to the youth of Qom. Near Ayatollah Khamenei’s office is Qom’s only big park, which is the main hangout for youngsters. Up to a short while ago, there was a big sign at the entrance of the park which directed males to one side and females and families to the other. In this street, there are also shopping centers and stores. Just as much as Saffaeeyeh street allows you to check out the ayatollahs, it also lets you buy the latest fashions, inquire about the price of gold and purchase computer parts or cell phones or sign up for ADSL. You can even find musical instruments to buy. All in all, Saffaeeyeh street is one example of the peaceful coexistence of the clerics with modern society.
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