An unlikely love triangle: Imams, Iran and Instagram

An Instagram account posts pictures of Islamic scholars in everyday situations

Posing with a Christmas tree, shopping at the local mall and shooting hoops with school girls are not among some of the things the world imagines seeing Iranian scholars as doing.

Rather, the stereotype of an Iranian cleric is often that of a fiery speaker addressing a crowd chanting slogans against "western imperialism".

However, an Instagram account that posts pictures of Islamic scholars in everyday situations, portrays an image quite contrary to the stereotypes we are used to seeing.

The page called 'Talabeh Today' - a Talabeh being a seminary student who pursues religious studies and who is supposed to adopt a simple devotional lifestyle - was started by Masoud Zareian, an Iranian seminary student from the northeastern city of Mashhad; in an attempt to change the perception people have of conservative clergy and highlight their relevance to contemporary life.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBMOHg4pnl5/?taken-by=talabetoday

Zareian is a documentary filmmaker and an avid supporter of Iran's clerical establishment. Instagram has become increasingly popular in the country, not only among the urban youth but among conservative sections of society. Twitter and Facebook are officially banned.

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Zareian describes his page as a true reflection of the social life of the clergyman of today's Iran. In an interview with a local newspaper he said, "Many people have a wrong perception about us. I believe if we try to portray the spiritual leaders as innocent like angels, it will look a bit unreal to people. A cleric is just an ordinary person".

https://www.instagram.com/p/BAb0i9cJnun/?taken-by=talabetoday

With over 13,000 followers, the page now also posts photos submitted by followers. Although each picture gains several hundred likes, many have also prompted debate about whether religious clergymen should be seen in public in traditional attire, doing things other than performing religious duties.
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Further, a woman also complained of the absence of female seminary students in the pictures, asking the page administrator to consider putting up photos of female counterparts online.
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Compiled with excerpts from BBC Trending.