“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, the famous 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 website Ayandeh, which stated that one of the famous religious singers of Tehran, "whose chants are constantly broadcast by the national television during the periods of religious mourning, was involved in a car accident on the morning of Dec. 26 on the Babayi Expressway involving 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 to Ayandeh, Karimi and his companion started arguing with the young couple in the Peugeot and eventually fired five shots in the direction of their car. The couple reported the incident at the local police station, and their complaint was later sent to the Prosecutor’s Office. Karimi, however, failed to appear in court.

The incident soon became controversial, raising questions about the perceived immunity of religious figures with close ties to the government. It was widely discussed in Iran’s media as well as social networks. Many Persian-language websites outside Iran highlighted Karimi’s relationship with the government, using such titles as “Maddah close to supreme leader shoots gun after accident.” Maddah, singers of religious eulogies, are also called eulogists.

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