Poisoning of schoolgirls aims to ‘shut girls’ education’ in Iran: Official

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – The poisoning of schoolgirls in central Iran's Qom city, which has snowballed into a grave public health issue in recent months, got a new twist on Sunday with an official saying it was aimed at "shutting girls’ education".

Deputy Health Minister Younes Panahi told a press conference in the northeastern city of Mashhad that some people were poisoning schoolgirls in Qom to disrupt their education, state media reported.

Hundreds of schoolgirls have been hospitalized in the city of Qom, a popular pilgrim site in central Iran, in recent months in what has been described as a wave of mysterious illness.

Although many parents had suspected "poisoning" as the cause of their sudden hospitalization, authorities investigating the issue found no evidence so far.

Last week, there were protests outside the provincial governor's office in Qom, with parents seeking an "explanation" from the authorities.

In the latest incident reported by local media last week, at least 15 schoolgirls were admitted to a hospital in Qom after complaining of respiratory problems.

The first incident was reported in November last year when at least 18 schoolgirls were transferred to a hospital in Qom after complaining of symptoms such as nausea, breathing problems, cough and body pain.

Last week, Iran's prosecutor general Mohammad Jafar Montazeri ordered a judicial probe into the mysterious illness. The result is still awaited.

"After the poisoning of several students in Qom schools, it became clear that some people wanted all schools, especially girls' schools, to be closed," Panahi said in statements cited by state news agency IRNA.

Panahi, a member of the investigating committee, added that the poisoning of schoolgirls was caused by "chemical compounds" that are not contagious or communicable.

He also ruled out "external causes" of the poisoning, saying there is no credible evidence to suggest that.

It comes after months of protests in the country that were marred by violence. The unrest was sparked by the death of a 22-year-old Iranian woman while in police custody in mid-September.