Culture

Iranwire – A regional Iranian official has warned against “crossing red lines” in the coming weeks as Iranians prepare for the Persian New Year, which falls during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan this year. “When organizing concerts, organizers and license holders must adhere to established boundaries, ensuring that no red lines are crossed,” Siavash Muslimi, commander of the Islamic …

iranintl – While the Iranian Foreign Ministry teased Iranians with “good news” of an LA-based singer’s potential return from exile, the government abruptly halted a beloved 10-day music festival in Bushehr. Like most decisions made by Iranian officials, these decisions were also contradictory and controversial. On the one hand the government is trying to trumpet good mood among Iranians ahead …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities have sentenced singer Shervin Hajipour, a vocal supporter of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, to three years and eight months in prison. He is charged with “propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic” and “inciting people to riot.”  Hajipour announced the verdict in an Instagram post on March 1, also revealing a two-year ban on leaving the country.  …

iranintl – A study by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance reveals a significant decline in adherence to religious values, despite extensive ideological propaganda by the government in Iran. The confidential study, conducted by the Ministry’s Research Center for Culture, Art and Communication and leaked to foreign-based Persian media outlets, highlights that approximately 73 percent of Iranians advocate for the separation …

Iranwire – The pattern of emigration from Iran has dramatically changed in recent years to become a mass phenomenon not only affecting the most elite and wealthy groups. While media and factions aligned with the Islamic Republic’s government often downplay the scale of emigration, athletes, artists, scholars, healthcare workers, educators, technocrats, farmers are now leaving the country in significant numbers. …

Iranwire – Following the 2022 nationwide protests in Iran, several publishers have taken a stand against censorship imposed by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.  Maryam Kian Afraz, a director at Kian Afraz Publishing, voiced her discontent on Instagram, criticizing members of the country’s publishing guild for remaining silent in the face of the suffering of oppressed people. Publishers …

voanews.com – Iran marked Sunday the 45th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution amid tensions gripping the wider Middle East over Israel’s continued war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Thousands of Iranians marched through major streets and squares decorated with flags, balloons and banners with revolutionary and religious slogans. In Tehran, crowds waved Iranian flags, chanted slogans, and carried …

iranintl.com – Iran’s defeat to Qatar in Asian Cup 2024 soccer tournament has once again underscored the profound rift among Iranians, some of whom rejoiced over the national team’s loss. Qatar, the host of the games, beat Iran 3-2 in semi-finals in Doha on Wednesday. In the aftermath of the match, some Iranians took to the streets in cities like …

iranintl – The Fajr Film Festival, once the Islamic Republic’s most prominent annual cultural event, has caused embarrassment for the regime, its officials, and supporters this year. According to reports, Iran’s best-known filmmakers refused to attend the opening gala, critics criticized the organizers for their poor programming, and artists confronted officials for various reasons. The festival has become a political tool …

iranintl – The Fajr Film Festival, Iran’s biggest and most extravagant annual cultural event, has become mired by the politics of fundamentalism and Islamic populism. Before conservative President Ebrahim Raisi took office in 2021, major film festivals in Europe and the United States, including those in Berlin, Cannes, and Chicago looked forward to the event to select some of the …