On Monday, this week, Iran introduced Hamdam, a dating application to facilitate lasting marriages in the country and help young people find a partner for themselves.
According to the reports, the app is named Hamdam which means “companion” in the Persian language. It is the only state-approved dating app that allows users to “search for and choose their spouse.”
Iran’s cyberspace police chief, Colonel Ali Mohammad Rajabi said that Hamdam is one of a kind app in the Islamic republic because other popular dating apps are illegal.
Developed by the government’s Tebyan Cultural Institute, Hamdam´s website claims it uses “artificial intelligence” to find matches “only for bachelors looking for permanent marriage and a single spouse.”
The head of the Tebyan Cultural Institute, Komeil Khojasteh said the app would create healthy families at a time when family values are under threat by the “Devil” and Iran’s enemies.
According to Hamdam’s website, users have to verify their identity and go through a “psychology test” before browsing. Once a match is found, the app “introduces the families together with the presence of service consultants”, who will “accompany” the couple for four years after marriage. The registration is free for the users.
Iran’s authorities, including the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have cautioned many times against the country’s rising rate of divorce and declining birth rates.
In March, Iran’s parliament passed a bill mandating the government to offer financial incentives for marriage and couples having more than two children. It has yet to be approved by the Guardian Council, which is tasked with checking that bills are in accordance with Islamic law and the constitution.
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