Earthquakes the Fault of Promiscuous Women, Says an Iranian Mullah

Hooman Rowshan March 09, 2011

TEHRAN, IRAN---Iran is one of the most earthquake proned regions of the world. The country’s capitol, Tehran, sits on a seismologically unstable area. The country has experienced several large scale earthquakes in recent years, resulting in massive property damage and loss of life.

Last year, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned of a massive earthquake to hit the capitol city of Tehran some time in the near future. He urged people to relocate from Tehran in order to reduce the capitol city’s population density.

But the Iranian clerics have another explanation for Iran’s earthquake problem- Promiscuous women.

In a prayer meeting, an Iranian Mullah, Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi, told the worshipers “many women who do not dress modestly ... lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which [consequently] increases earthquakes”.

He added “what can we do to avoid being buried under the rubble? There is no other solution but to take refuge in religion and to adapt our lives to Islam's moral codes”.

Iranian scientists unanimously agree that a devastating earthquake is certain to hit the sprawling Iranian capitol and its 12 million inhabitants. Teheran sits on a confluence of fault lines. One such fault line is estimated to be more than 50 miles long.

However, Tehran has not suffered a major earthquake in the recent past. The last earthquake to hit the capitol city happened in 1830.

“A divine authority told me to tell the people to make a general repentance. Why? Because calamities threaten us,” said Sedighi, adding “and now, if a natural earthquake hits Tehran, no one will be able to confront such a calamity but God's power, only God's power. ... So let's not disappoint God”.

Iranian building standards are generally inferior to the prevailing standards of construction in the West. The building inspectors in Iran are corrupt and are all too willing to look the other way if bribed by the building contractor.

In response, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security said earnest prayer and plea to God for forgiveness are the best “formulas to repel earthquakes.”

He added, "we cannot invent a system that prevents earthquakes, but God has created this system and that is to avoid sins, to pray, to seek forgiveness, pay alms and self-sacrifice”.

The Iranian government does not seem to have any concrete plans to deal with the aftermath should a large scale earthquake hit the capitol city of Tehran.

For now, the Islamic Republic’s action plan in dealing with natural calamities is limited to prayer, repentance, and keeping promiscuous women in proper Islamic attire.

Tags: Earthquakes , Islamic Republic Of Iran , Women