Ban on 'Muharram Makeup'

The newspaper Novavaran reported under the headline 'Retreat': 'The protests of the head of the Society of Teachers of Qom Seminary regarding the execution of a concert in Qom led to Hojjatoleslam Abbas Daneshi, the director general of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Qom, resigning under pressure to the Minister of Culture.' Now, with this resignation accepted by Ali Jannati, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has once again 'retreated.' Ayatollah Vakelian reminded in Novavaran that Mohammad Yazdi, the head of the Society of Teachers of Qom Seminary, had stated regarding a concert held for 'Sacred Defense Week' in the religious city of Qom: 'The director general of Guidance must resign and leave Qom; this issue cannot be resolved with an apology.' According to the newspaper, Ali Jannati, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Iran, referring to 'the displeasure of some clerics of Qom Seminary,' accepted the resignation of Abbas Daneshi, and now 'once again, Hassan Rouhani witnesses the retreat of an individual from his cultural apparatus.' The newspaper Etemad also wrote about this, stating: 'Ali Jannati preferred to retreat again, this time in response to the resignation of the director general of Qom Guidance after protests, accepting this resignation without any defense.' This newspaper pointed out that the political rivals of Hassan Rouhani, who were not able to compete against the 'legal expert' in the election campaign, have since the formation of the eleventh government 'targeted the same direction that had previously worked in the 1990s; the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance,' a ministry that 'whenever a specific current fails in the political game, it seeks revenge.' Etemad wrote that during Hassan Rouhani's government, 'the ministry under Ali Jannati quickly hit a snag, first due to the mismanagement of some officials and second, occasional blows from rivals outside the arena. The best excuse, however, was the holding of concerts, screening of films, and staging street theater in Qom or other cities, to the extent that the president reacted and complained about the minister's retreat in the face of illegal claims.' However, 'throughout this time, the media current close to the losing side of the political field has also not been idle, occasionally launching rumors in every way to initiate the project of dismissing the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance.' This newspaper also mentioned unofficial news about the possibility of Ali Jannati's dismissal, stating: 'In the latest example that prompted a reaction from the Public Relations and Information Center of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, this center last week published a news item titled 'My Dismissal is a Rumor,' quoting the minister as saying: 'The issue of my dismissal is nothing more than a rumor, and some media outlets always engage in rumor-mongering and should not be paid attention to.' The newspaper Jahan San'at reported on the 'continuation of economic austerity,' stating: 'A new wave of price increases has once again emerged in the market for essential goods,' and 'the reality of the market indicates that in recent months, the prices of essential goods and those needed by the public have fluctuated more than in previous years.' According to this newspaper, 'officials from various government agencies, on the verge of special occasions, announce price stability and market calm, while the government's actions to regulate the market have usually been too late and have not had the expected impact on market control.' Jahan San'at also referred to the increase in the prices of some essential goods, stating: 'The price of meat remains at a peak,' with 'the price of lamb leg reaching 44,000 tomans per kilogram and the price of lamb meat without fat reaching 38,000 tomans per kilogram,' and 'the wholesale price of ready-to-cook chicken weighing between one kilogram and 1,700 grams is 6,950 tomans, and the retail price in shops is 7,500 tomans.' This newspaper noted that 'the rice market is still facing turmoil, with the price of rice this year experiencing an unusual increase, currently selling at prices ranging from 5,500 tomans to 14,000 tomans per kilogram depending on the variety and quality in different regions of the country.' Jahan San'at also stated that 'while overpricing continues in the market for this product, no measures have been taken to combat profiteers and reduce the price of this product,' although 'the government has recently decided to distribute regulated meat to counter price increases, but it seems this action is too late to control the market and will have little impact.' The newspaper Sharq reported on the 'controversy of a trial,' stating that 'the holding of the first political crime trial is shrouded in ambiguity.' According to this newspaper, while 'the Government Employees Court has identified the case of Eisa Saharkhiz, the director of press at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance during Mohammad Khatami's presidency, as a political crime and deemed it within the jurisdiction of the Criminal Court of the province, the head of the Criminal Court of the province claims this case is not a political crime.' Mohsen Eftekhari, the head of the Criminal Courts of Tehran province, regarding the latest status of Eisa Saharkhiz's case, which had previously been referred by the Government Employees Court for handling according to the political crime law to the Criminal Court of the province, stated: 'We believe this case is not a political crime, and it is likely that to resolve the dispute and determine the jurisdiction of the handling authority, the case will be sent to the Supreme Court for clarification.' Sharq reminded that on Wednesday, July 30, 1995, Mahmoud Ali Zadeh Tabatabai, the defense attorney for Eisa Saharkhiz, stated: 'The handling of Mr. Saharkhiz's case for insulting the head of the judiciary is the first political crime trial in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which will be held with the presence of a jury.' He also stated that 'in Mr. Saharkhiz's case, the investigator initially informed him of the charge of propaganda against the security of the regime, for which a decision was issued, but the deputy prosecutor did not accept this charge and informed Mr. Saharkhiz of charges of propaganda, conspiracy, and insulting the leadership. This case has gone to the Revolutionary Court, and I and Mr. Saleh Nikbakht are supposed to defend him in this court. Another charge against him is insulting the head of the judiciary, which has been referred to Branch 1057, and the section on publishing falsehoods against the leadership has gone to Branch 1058.' The newspaper Arman reported on the trend of women's migration, stating: 'Statistics indicate an increase in the population of women in villages due to the excessive migration of men to metropolises.' This newspaper noted that 'in 1976, according to official statistical data, of the country's 33 million population, over 25 million were native to their place of residence, and 6.7 million had changed their place of residence at least once,' reminding that 'currently, 70% of Iran's population is urban, and only 30% remains rural.' Zahra Soleimani, in her report for Arman, emphasized that 'men are the reason for women's migration,' writing: 'Currently, due to low education and employment opportunities, many women and girls prefer migrating to metropolises over living with their families and in their hometowns. Moreover, this action also increases the chances of finding better marriage prospects.' In this report, criticizing that 'poor and short-term planning in previous governments has gradually reduced the rural population,' it was emphasized that 'under such circumstances, individuals have no choice but to migrate and accept existing problems,' noting that 'many behaviors in small towns are taboo, but in metropolises, due to the vastness, this is not a concern at all.' The newspaper Farhikhtegan reported that the Union of Hairdressers announced a ban on 'Muharram Makeup,' promising to 'deal with violating salons.' This newspaper wrote that 'when Muharram and Safar arrive, some choose strange makeup styles to show that they are mourning in their own way. Some design the names of Hossein and Abolfazl on their nails with black nail polish, and it has been seen that some also choose specific hairstyles and facial makeup for Muharram. Some even write the name of Hossein on their coats and scarves,' and this makeup has been named 'Muharram Makeup.' Farhikhtegan reported that 'following the increase in nail designs and other services performed in salons during this mourning period,' Shahbanu Abedi, the vice president of the Union of Women Hairdressers in Tehran, announced the prohibition of any services under the name of 'Muharram Makeup' in all beauty salons, stating: 'Women hairdressers are prohibited from providing any services as Muharram Makeup in all beauty salons, and performing activities such as Muharram Makeup is contrary to Islamic and national norms, and such activities are banned in beauty salons in Tehran province, and violators will be dealt with.' The newspaper Javan, in its Tuesday headline, titled 'Suddenly Palm Became Useful,' wrote: 'Palm oil has once again become controversial, but this time it seems that regardless of its benefits or harms, it is roasting the bread of politics.' According to this newspaper, palm oil was unknown to the general public until a few years ago when some doctors and nutrition experts publicized its harms, 'with the Minister of Health and the head of the Food and Drug Administration at the forefront, demanding the removal of palm oil from dairy products in the media.' However, now Hassan Rouhani, during his trip to East Asia, stated that 'the Prime Minister of Malaysia points out that Malaysians use this oil and their health is also good, announcing a visit of a Malaysian delegation to Iran to clarify the health characteristics of this oil.' Several newspapers on Tuesday also dedicated a photo or one of their main headlines to the news of the Saudi attack on a ceremony in Yemen. The newspaper Vatan-e Emruz, close to the Front of Steadfastness, referred to the Saudi leaders as 'beasts' in a report titled 'Karabala of Yemen,' reporting that 'the number of casualties from the Saudi beasts' attack on a mourning assembly in Sana'a has risen to 450, with 500 injured, and quoting 'Ansarullah' stated: 'We will take revenge.' This newspaper simultaneously accused Hassan Rouhani of 'not seeing the Karabala of Yemen,' writing: 'Hassan Rouhani's silence regarding the recent Saudi crime in Yemen has once again exposed the Iranian public opinion to the strange and out-of-the-ordinary behavior of the government.' Vatan-e Emruz also wrote in an article titled 'Omar Saad Version 1438,' stating: 'The reconciliation current has recently sought to distort the concepts of this great incident. Especially in recent years, some comments about Imam Hossein's behavior in Karbala, including regarding the relationship of Hosseini's uprising with the subject of 'negotiation,' especially the desirable negotiation of Iranian West-seeking individuals, have caused distress among the religious people and committed scholars.' The newspaper Jam-e Jam, affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Organization, published a photo of King Salman on its front page, referring to the Saudi king as 'Shimmer of Time.' The newspaper Shahre Vahdat also reported on its front page the 'global condemnation of the Saudis,' stating that after the 'Saudi attack on Yemen left 140 dead and over 500 injured,' 'the United States announced that it would immediately review its support for the Saudi coalition in Yemen.'