A senior member of the Qom clergy says Iran’s ministry of culture and guidance should be transferred to the holy city of Qom to function in close relations with Qom seminaries.
The Qom Seminary, an important center for Shia scholarship, is home to many senior Shia members of the clergy.
IRNA reports that according to Ayatollah Alvi Gorgani, the ministry of guidance is in effect an extension of the Qom Seminary, saying: “This ministry is an in-between organization bridging the gap between the clergy and the people.”
He added that it would be appropriate for the administration to organize the transfer of the ministry of guidance to Qom so that it can be protected from certain influences.
He maintained that greater give-and-take between the clergy and the ministry of guidance would engender greater public respect for the ministry.
He added that the ministry of culture and guidance could better plan its domestic and international agenda from Qom.
Earlier, the Qom Friday Mass Imam had also called for more visits by ministry of guidance officials to Qom to partake in the wisdom of the clergy.
