Iran has unveiled a state-sanctioned Islamic dating application ‘Hamdam’ which aims at facilitating ‘lasting and informed marriage’ for its youth. A halal dating app to boost birth rate is sponsored by Islamic Clergy and the Supreme Leader Ayotallah Ali Khameini. According to Iran’s cyberspace police chief Colonel Ali Mohammad Rajabi, dating apps are popular in Iran, but all other platforms apart from Hamdam are illegal.
Hamdam claims to use ‘artificial intelligence’ to find matches only for bachelors seeking permanent marriage and a single spouse; It is developed by the Tebyan Cultural Institute, part of Iran’s Islamic Propaganda Organization. ‘Hamdam’ translates to ‘companion’, Farsi is for ‘companion’ while all other dating apps are ‘Halal’ since they are illegal.
According to an excerpt from Al Jazeera’s report, “It has been reported from Iran’s national TV that the Iranian administration has launched an Islamic app, which will promote the spirit of marriage among the youth and share information related to it. “
Komel Khojasteh, head of the Tebayan Institute, said during the unveiling of the app,
“Our families are now targets of Satan. Iran’s enemies want to impose their views on us. To counter this, we need healthy families, in whose development ‘Hamdam’ will be very helpful. According to this app, users will first have to prove their identity and undergo a psychological test before browsing. When the match is made, this app will match families, who will be with the couple for four years, even after marriage”.
The declining birth rate in Iran has become a matter of concern for its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has also expressed concern on this subject. In March, Iran’s parliament had also passed a special bill to increase the population. Under this, it is very necessary for the government to provide financial assistance to the people for marriages, encourage people to have more than two children and prevent people from getting abortions.
These laws have been approved by the Sharia of Iran. At this time, while the country is preparing to face the fifth wave of Corona virus, the administrators of Iran are investing their time and resources on how to further increase the population of the country. This shows the priorities of the Islamic nation.