"Unlike in Italy, Iranian officials are refusing to impose quarantines in areas affected by the outbreak. They say quarantines are old-fashioned and that they do not believe in them. The Shia shrines in the cities of Qom and Mashhad are still open, despite Qom being a hotbed of the virus. There are grand ayatollahs in Qom who believe that its shrine, which attracts millions of pilgrims from around the world, and its important seminary, which hosts many foreign religious students, are the pride of the Shia world. Shutting them down would be a huge step for the clerics and not one that they would be likely take unless they come under international pressure. We can see the clear conflict between religious fundamentalism and science."