Divisions Deepen in Razavi Khorasan Seminaries Following Raisi's Death

Razavi Khorasan Province is home to more than a hundred seminaries, ranging from the significant Mashhad Seminary, a center for student education in Iran, to smaller schools scattered across the province's cities. 

Notably, the Khorasan Seminary alone educates 6,000 female students.

Numerous former and current officials, including influential figures such as the current Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic and former presidents like Ebrahim Raisi, have completed at least part of their seminary education in this province, particularly in Mashhad. 

Raisi's death in a helicopter crash has exacerbated existing divisions within the seminary community in Razavi Khorasan.

A student, a young woman who preferred to be called "Bent Al-Hadi" during the interview, sharply stated, "The question is irrelevant, everyone knows whose envy and greed killed Haj Agha," referring to Ebrahim Raisi. 

"He was the best option for the third leadership and restored the connection of the Islamic government to the revolution of Mahdi," she added.

Bent Al-Hadi asserts that she, her classmates, and teachers believe that clear, influential forces removed Ebrahim Raisi due to his popularity and influence, to ensure "the Islamic revolution does not deviate from its current path." 

This young student cites several reasons for the removal of a president who, according to her, aimed to "address the betrayals to the cause of the Islamic Revolution." 

"These include behind-the-scenes negotiations with America, the lack of full support for the war and genocide in Gaza, the delay in developing nuclear weapons, and the system's delay in confronting widespread corruption and prostitution at the city level."

Studying in a small seminary in Mashhad, she told IranWire, "During the election of the Assembly of Experts, we went from village to village in South Khorasan to preach together with other sisters from the seminary. 

"We knew that if Haj Agha was in the Assembly of Experts, whether or not he became the chairman, it would pave the way for him to lead the Ummah. 

"Before that, we held briefing sessions for the sisters in Mashhad and nearby cities to increase insight and explain the difference in the vision of Hazrat Ayatollah Raisi compared to others."

Sheikh Mahdi, a second-level student at one of the seminaries in Mashhad, believes there were hidden forces behind the helicopter crash that killed Ebrahim Raisi. Speaking to IranWire, he said, "In the scientific environment of Mashhad, the School of Segregation or the School of Knowledge of Khorasan is dominant. 

"This school focuses on purifying religious knowledge and separating it from philosophical and mystical thoughts. 

"It has produced significant and influential figures for the Islamic Revolution. 

"Those who thought that removing Haj Agha Raisi would diminish the credibility and influence of the Mashhad seminary are unaware that this academic space has other prominent figures, including Ayatollah Maravi."

Sheikh Mahdi refers to Ahmed Maravi, the custodian of Astan Quds, and added, "Imam Khamenei, Ayatollah Raisi, Ayatollah Maravi, and many other influential figures in the political-Shia atmosphere of the country are students of the Nawab school and its school of separation." 

He blames foreign forces, including Israel and "the servant of the cursed regime of the Republic of Azerbaijan," for Raisi's death. 

He added, "I know that you, the so-called journalists, traitors to Islam and the Muslim nation of Iran, and your Western and Eastern masters, are happy about Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi's martyrdom. 

"But you forget that this system has stood strong with the sacrifice of millions of martyrs, and with God's help, it will continue to stand."

In response to a question from IranWire about other students in Mashhad and Khorasan Razavi believing that part of the Iranian government played a role in Raisi's death, Sheikh Mahdi said, "Anyone who has not seen the closeness between the Supreme Leader and our beloved martyr is either blind or blinded by the media. 

"Our beloved martyr was Imam Khamenei's follower, and he remains our proof until the Resurrection. No lie will change this fact."

Mustafa, although not an official student registered with any seminary, has studied independently with several professors. 

Reflecting on the atmosphere in theological seminaries after Ebrahim Raisi's death, he says, "The seminary was once a place of knowledge and debate, irrespective of whether you consider what was being discussed as scientific or not. 

"Over the last 40 years, however, with the increasing financial dependence of the seminaries on political institutions, their independence has diminished."

"Today, if you talk to a student, within the first few minutes, you can tell which school they attend and the political orientation of their teachers. 

"After Mr. Raisi's martyrdom, some students blamed a foreign enemy because they study in schools aligned with the current leader. 

"Another group believes the succession battle is to blame, as they studied in seminaries that viewed Raisi as the third leader and enjoyed its material and spiritual benefits."