Iran religious endowment eyes slice of Mt Damavand
(WorldNews Iran)

Awqaf, Iran`s powerful religious endowments agency, answerable only to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and operating a portfolio generating nearly US$250 billion annually, is facing intense scrutiny this week following reports it has seized a slice of the iconic Mount Damavand. “Investigations reveal that the Awqaf has secured an endowment deed for one out of 11 registered parcels of Mount Damavand, from the foothills to the summit,” reported Hamshahri, one of Iran`s most reputable national newspapers. The deed for the tranche of the nation`s most famous mountain was secured through a ruling by the Supreme Court, and without input from the national Forests, Range and Watershed Management...