I do not take it personally. I pray that God forgives those who were trying to make this into a scandal, said Haj Mahmoud Karimi, thefamous religious singer,after reports surfaced that he had fired his pistol in a disagreement following a car accident.The incident was first reported by the websiteAyandeh, which stated that one of the famous religious singersof Tehran, "whose chants are constantly broadcastby the national television during the periods of religious mourning, was involved in a car accident on the morning of Dec.26on the Babayi Expresswayinvolving a Peugeot 206 vehicle. This accident, which could have been resolved like hundreds of other cases before it by calling the insurance company and giving a description of the accident, instead led to an argument.
According toAyandeh, Karimi and his companion started arguing with the young couple in the Peugeot and eventually fired fiveshots in the direction of their car. The couple reported the incident at the local police station, and their complaint was later sent to the Prosecutors Office. Karimi, however, failed to appear in court.
The incident soon became controversial, raisingquestions about the perceived immunity of religious figures with close ties to the government. It was widely discussed in Irans media as well as social networks. Many Persian-language websites outside Iran highlighted Karimis relationship with the government, using suchtitles as Maddahclose to supreme leader shoots gun after accident.Maddah,singersof religious eulogies, are also called eulogists.
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