Difficulties and Rebirth
Since the 1970s, Iranian Scouting has faced difficulties, and lost WOSM membership. The government placed restraints on Scouting during the 1980s, and the wars in which Iran became involved drew away many Scout-age boys and adult leaders for military service.
On February 12, 1979, after establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, thousands of Scouts and leaders were gathered in Feizieh School in Qom, to meet the supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini, where he stated that "Scouting must stay on and continue its activities."
However, his explicit and clear command was disregarded, when in 1987, the Majlis canceled the Iran Scout Organization with one or two opposing votes.
The 35th World Scout Conference, convened in Durban, South Africa from July 26 to 30, 1999, voted to remove Iran from membership because the national Scout organization had ceased to exist.
Finally, Mohsen Zanjani, a former Scout who was interested in renewing Scouting and was present for Khomeini's speech, decided to rebuild the organization in Iran. He is now the director of Scouting in Iran. Born in Tehran in 1925, Zanjani lived his childhood and adolescence with the older Scouters, from whom he learned much Scoutcraft. Because of his drive, he served as patrol leader and Scoutmaster, and became a teacher and director of Air Scouting prior to the Revolution.
In 2003, the Iranian Scouting Organization was re-launched with endeavors in the fields of youth development, social skills, and training young people physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. All of these activities are non-governmental, and Zanjani has responsibility for all activities. The Iran Scout Organization Constitution states that "all of the activities of the Iranian Scouting Organization are voluntary, educational, non-political and non-profitable... all about young people with no discrimination regarding about their race or beliefs. The members should follow the goals and the methods of the director of the Iranian Scouting Organization, and also the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
The current Iranian Scouting uniform likely has longer shirt sleeves and full-length trousers, in accordance with Islamic edicts.
Read more about this topic: Iran Scout Organization
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