Senior Shia Cleric snubs Iran banking system, calls for reforms

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Top cleric stressed the necessity of a reform in Iran's banking system and called for preventing the cycle of interest-based money in financial operations.

Grand Ayatollah Hussein Mazaheri, Iranian senior religious figure met with a group of bank staff in Isfahan and demanded a reform in Iran's banking system calling honesty and trustfulness as two important features for success in economic and banking affairs.

"From the viewpoint of religious teachings, lack of honesty in ones words and betraying peoples trust is rebuked though it is more reprimanded when happened in the banking system and economic affairs," the ayatollah said.  

Ayatollah Mazaheri referred to the honesty, fraternity and intimacy domineering the relation between the people and said once the people find honesty in the words and behavior of the officials, they would sacrifice whatever they have for protection of the government and Islamic Revolution.

He also stressed the necessity of maintaining Islamic Sharia in the banking system of Iran and said, "It is widely spread that "economy and banks" and "banks and Riba (lucre)" are inseparable twins but the promoted laws of Islam, maintaining solutions on Islamic contracts and investor-agent partnership, does not accept the synonymy of banks and Riba (lucre) and has opened its way through developed rules and assiduity.

He expressed regret that cycle of money in some Iranian banks is still lucre-based and demanded the officials to maintain the laws carefully and adopt Islamic sharia in banking contracts while calling for a reform in banking systems so that the way for lucre-based activities is blocked.

Iranian religious figure referred to some Sharia-based tricks to evade interests called riba (lucre) and said aside from religious justifications for these tricks, they are immoral or actually anti moral acts in transactions and bazaar and the promoted laws of Islam do not let anti morality in any area of life.

Ayatollah Mazaheri also referred to the recent embezzlement in Iran's bank and said, "This embezzlement happened due to ignoring Islamic laws," adding that it will be a dark spot in the record of banking affairs in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He called on the banking officials to buld trust in banking operations apply Sharia in banking contracts so that the trust of the people to banks is regained.

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