Religious sites in Iran have never before been closed — even during the war with Iraq — yet with the spread of the novel coronavirus across the country, infecting tens of thousands and killing hundreds every week, things have changed. The decision by Iran’s Interior Ministry to close all the shrines in Qom, Mashhad and Tehran has stirred mixed feelings among Iranians, assuring some while infuriating others.

To some Iranians, the closure of the shrines is a grim act that will never be forgotten. The spiritual attachment Iranians have with Ali ibn Musa al-Reza, the eighth Shiite imam buried in Mashhad, and his sister Fatima Masuma, whose tomb is in Qom, goes beyond religiosity. This bond is part of a culture that has been engraved in the Iranian collective identity — and perhaps that’s one of the reasons why a decision to close these places took time to be adopted.

But Qom became the epicenter of Iran's coronavirus problem as in the beginning pilgrims were encouraged to keep coming to Qom,

A decision to close shrines — and likewise one to lock down cities — has presented a challenge to the government of President Hassan Rouhani, who has been under tenacious pressure to plow ahead with measures to stem the spread of COVID-19. He had economic concerns when it comes to locking down cities, as closed businesses would mean a mass economic crash that could complicate efforts to combat the coronavirus, which had killed 1,685 in the country as of March 22.