This article examines use of the Internet by the religious authorities of the holy city of Qom in Iran. Based on a series of interviews and an analysis of the content of several websites, the author shows that the Shiite clergy connected to the Islamic Republic regime have recognized the Internet as a communication tool that it can use to disseminate its religious interpretations and political positions. This active engagement in on-line communication is analysed as a strategy through which the clerics try to preserve their influence over religious discourse even in cyberspace. The article questions the validity of thinking which presents the introduction of the Internet in the Middle East simply as a challenge to religious and political authorities.