Statue of Persian Commander Causes Controversy in Yasuj

Yasuj's Prosecutor: We didn't order destruction of Aryo Barzan Status. We acted based on the request from Revolutionary Guards.

Payvand.com - According to ISNA, installation of the statue of a Persian historic figure in the city of Yasuj has stirred big controversy. The decision to remove the statue is being resisted by the some residents and the tensions have the potential to escalate further.

Yasuj prosecutor, Hojjataoleslam Mohammad Mousavipour, has ordered the Town Council and the Mayor to move Aryo Barzan's statue to a more suitable location in order to avoid further tensions.

According to the prosecutor, the Town Council is trying to find a workable solution to this issue. Supposedly there had been plans to name this square to "3rd of Khordad" (the day Khorramshahr was liberated from Iraqi forces) before it was named to Aryo Barzan, and this is the source of the controversy.

Mousavipour said the Judiciary got involved in this case after the Revolutionary Guards announced that instead of Aryo Barzan statue, which is from the Ashkanin era, a statue should be used that symbolizes and promotes Islamic values. He continued that the Guards had only ordered the removal of the statue and not its destruction.

Meanwhile the City Council has claimed that they only approved naming the square to Aryo Barzan and not installing a statue there. According to the council, the statue has been commissioned and installed by the Mayor's office.