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Reuters
Persian Journal, Iran
Dar al-Hayat, Saudi Arabia
Dec 9 2004
Iran's mullah-run judiciary arrests three cultural officials
Iran's mullah-run judiciary has arrested three cultural officials for
organising a festival containing a brief display of dancing by a male
and female theatre group, the government-run Iran newspaper reported
on Thursday.
One hardline newspaper said the festival in the southern city of
Ahvaz contained "obscene and repulsive scenes of lewdness and ethical
violations in the guise of art."
Physical contact between unrelated men and women in public is
outlawed under Iran's strict Islamic moral code and female dancers
and singers are banned from performing in front of men.
Social and cultural restrictions have eased somewhat under the
government of moderate cleric President Mohammad Khatami.
But powerful conservatives deeply opposed to Western cultural
influences have stepped up their efforts to stamp out any watering
down of Islamic values in recent months.
Festival organiser Alireza Ajang, head of the Culture and Islamic
Guidance Ministry in southern Khuzestan province, and two of his
colleagues were arrested on charges of "encouraging immorality". The
three were later released on $19,500 bail.
Deputy Culture Minister Mohammad Haqshenas said the incident had been
blown out of proportion.
"The whole festival should not be questioned due to three minutes out
of an Armenian group's 70-minute performance," Iran newspaper quoted
him as saying.
But the hardline Kayhan newspaper in, an editorial, called for the
officials to be sacked.
"The dancing of women in revealing gowns under the light of strong
projectors, the mixed dancing of men and women, and other ugly scenes
... were just some of the scandalous incidents of that day," the
paper said.
Persian Journal, Iran
Dar al-Hayat, Saudi Arabia
Dec 9 2004
Iran's mullah-run judiciary arrests three cultural officials
Iran's mullah-run judiciary has arrested three cultural officials for
organising a festival containing a brief display of dancing by a male
and female theatre group, the government-run Iran newspaper reported
on Thursday.
One hardline newspaper said the festival in the southern city of
Ahvaz contained "obscene and repulsive scenes of lewdness and ethical
violations in the guise of art."
Physical contact between unrelated men and women in public is
outlawed under Iran's strict Islamic moral code and female dancers
and singers are banned from performing in front of men.
Social and cultural restrictions have eased somewhat under the
government of moderate cleric President Mohammad Khatami.
But powerful conservatives deeply opposed to Western cultural
influences have stepped up their efforts to stamp out any watering
down of Islamic values in recent months.
Festival organiser Alireza Ajang, head of the Culture and Islamic
Guidance Ministry in southern Khuzestan province, and two of his
colleagues were arrested on charges of "encouraging immorality". The
three were later released on $19,500 bail.
Deputy Culture Minister Mohammad Haqshenas said the incident had been
blown out of proportion.
"The whole festival should not be questioned due to three minutes out
of an Armenian group's 70-minute performance," Iran newspaper quoted
him as saying.
But the hardline Kayhan newspaper in, an editorial, called for the
officials to be sacked.
"The dancing of women in revealing gowns under the light of strong
projectors, the mixed dancing of men and women, and other ugly scenes
... were just some of the scandalous incidents of that day," the
paper said.