A senior minister is claiming “some people” are poisoning schoolgirls in Iran. According to him, this is an attempt at halting their education. Read to know more.
Minister claims Iranian schoolgirls in Qom are being poisoned.
The state media reported a deputy minister in Iran was claiming “some people” were poisoning schoolgirls in Qom. He believed they are trying to put a stop to girls’ education. Several cases of respiratory poisoning have been occurring in the holy city since November. Moreover, Younes Panahi, the deputy health minister confirmed the suspicions on Sunday. “After the poisoning of several students in Qom schools, it was found that some people wanted all schools, especially girls’ schools, to be closed,” he stated.
Earlier Toussef Nouri, the education minister called the reports of the poisoning of school-going girls a “rumor”. He also claimed the students were going to the hospital for “underlying diseases”. However, there have been no arrests as of now.
More on the happenings in Iran
As per an IRNA report, on February 14, the parents’ of the sick schoolgirls gathered outside the governor’s office, demanding an explanation. The next day, Ali Bahadori Jahromi revealed the educational and intelligence ministries were trying to understand the root cause of the issue. Jahromi is a government spokesperson. Additionally, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the Prosecutor General ordered a judicial probe into the poisoning.
The news of the poisoning comes days after Iran and China requested Afghanistan to end their restrictions on women, stopping them from working and studying. The two nations called on their mutual neighbor to form an inclusive government that contains people from all ethnic and political groups. They suggested this to help in canceling all discrimination measures against ethnic minorities and women.
