Iranians Obsessed With 'Immoral' Websites On Ashura
Radio Free Europe Liberty / Golnaz Esfandiari
29-Aug-2011

What kind of websites do you think Iranians in the capital visited most on Ashura, commemorated by Shi'a as a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Hossein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad?

"Immoral" websites, according to an official with Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

"Based on some figures regarding the use of immoral websites by web users during noon on Ashura, among 182 countries, Tehran ranked first and Shiraz was in 15th place," Ebrahim Bayani, a deputy IRGC Intelligence chief, was quoted as saying on August 26 by the semi-official Fars news agency.

Bayani also said that, according to findings by the IRGC's Cyber Army, Tehran, Yazd, and Isfahan provinces ranked first, second, and third in terms of visits to "immoral sites."

It isn't clear whether the Ashura day figures were also the result of the work of IRGC’s Cyber Army.

Bayani said that with such "shocking" figures as well as satellite channels, how can Iranian youth have any motivation to go to the mosque and practice religion?

He didn't give any examples of the "immoral" websites that are apparently so popular among Iranians. In general, the adjective "immoral" -- when used by Iranian officials -- doesn't necessarily mean pornographic. For example, ... >>>

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