"A clergyman vacuuming alongside his playful child."
"A clergyman using his time reading a book in subway. "
"Two clergymen on a chairlift down after mountain climbing."
These simple, somewhat broken sentences sound, well, simple and broken. But paired with the images they describe, they are helping to dispel the stereotype that Iranian clerics are merely anti-American radicals who rail against "Western imperialists."
In reality, as the Instagram account "Talabe Today" shows, the country's imams are a lot like the rest of us.
The man behind the popular account is Masoud Zareian, an Iranian seminary student who wanted to improve the image of the country's conservative clergy, according to the BBC, citing a local newspaper who interviewed Zareian.
Launched in January 2015, Talabe Today now has nearly 15,000 followers, and its photo posts get hundreds of likes and dozens of comments -- most of which are supportive of its mission.
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, has been criticized by international human rights groups for its strict religious laws. The oil-rich Middle Eastern nation, home to some 77 million people, is particularly touchy when it comes to freedom of speech. It has banned Facebook and Twitter.
But Instagram is allowed and very popular among Iran's youth and conservatives alike.
Below is some of the best of Talabe Today.
Фото опубликовано طلبه تودِى (@talabetoday) Сен 13 2015 в 5:41 PDT
Фото опубликовано طلبه تودِى (@talabetoday) Авг 17 2015 в 6:42 PDT
Фото опубликовано طلبه تودِى (@talabetoday) Сен 10 2015 в 1:17 PDT
Фото опубликовано طلبه تودِى (@talabetoday) Сен 5 2015 в 5:31 PDT
Фото опубликовано طلبه تودِى (@talabetoday) Авг 23 2015 в 11:49 PDT
Фото опубликовано طلبه تودِى (@talabetoday) Фев 4 2016 в 3:15 PST
Фото опубликовано طلبه تودِى (@talabetoday) Дек 25 2015 в 11:14 PST
Фото опубликовано طلبه تودِى (@talabetoday) Июл 26 2015 в 1:27 PDT
Фото опубликовано طلبه تودِى (@talabetoday) Июн 20 2015 в 4:30 PDT
Фото опубликовано طلبه تودِى (@talabetoday) Янв 26 2015 в 4:13 PST
Фото опубликовано طلبه تودِى (@talabetoday) Янв 12 2016 в 1:54 PST
Фото опубликовано طلبه تودِى (@talabetoday) Окт 8 2015 в 11:01 PDT
Фото опубликовано طلبه تودِى (@talabetoday) Окт 26 2015 в 11:12 PDT
Фото опубликовано طلبه تودِى (@talabetoday) Янв 23 2016 в 11:27 PST