Ahmad Alamolhoda: I Oppose Concerts Across the Country

Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, who has strongly opposed the holding of music concerts in this city, has now stated that he is fundamentally against concerts across the country. However, he has attempted to assure that he is a supporter of art, even more than the artists themselves. The Iranian Labor News Agency, ILNA, reported on Wednesday, April 30, Mr. Alamolhoda's remarks made to university scholars in Mashhad, where he said: "I oppose concerts across the country because concerts kill art." The Friday prayer leader of Mashhad further stated that, like Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, he does not consider music to be haram (forbidden) and listens to some songs. Alamolhoda's opposition to concerts has effectively deprived the city of Mashhad from hosting concerts in recent years. This issue has drawn reactions from the government of Hassan Rouhani, but ultimately, Ali Jannati, the former Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, explicitly stated that he had succumbed to this demand, and no concerts would be held in Mashhad anymore. The Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, who previously described music concerts as a precursor to "debauchery" and a "center of corruption and vice," emphasized that his opposition does not mean he is against art; rather, he considers himself a greater supporter of art than artists because if art is directed towards human elevation, it is the best form of worship. He then added: "The injustice to music is that concerts are held at universities, and tickets are sold outside the university! In other countries, concerts are a tool of art, not a tool for entertainment and debauchery." Following Alamolhoda's opposition to music concerts in Mashhad, Friday prayer leaders and IRGC officials in other cities have also called for a halt to music concerts in their cities, including the Friday prayer leaders of Shiraz, Urmia, and Sirjan, as well as the commander of the IRGC in Kermanshah. Mr. Alamolhoda is the father-in-law of Ebrahim Raisi, the custodian of the Astan Quds Razavi, and Mr. Raisi's candidacy in this year's presidential election has brought more attention to the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad. In this context, the holding of a concert in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari was brought to a halt due to the Friday prayer leader's objections, and the Society of Teachers warned the Rouhani government following the holding of a music concert in Qom. The secretary of the Society of Teachers opposed the holding of concerts in Qom, with Mohammad Yazdi stating that even street theater should not be performed in Qom. The controversy over the concert led to the resignation of the director of culture and guidance in Qom. Ali Motahari remarked that perhaps Imam Reza himself would attend a concert. Alamolhoda stated that any movement promoting religious values is attributed to the federalization of Mashhad. He also claimed that there are attempts to rally against the leader. Motahari urged students not to allow Khorasan to become an autonomous province.