Closure of a Cinema in Qom Due to Promotion of a Foreign Film

The public relations office of the Qom Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office announced the issuance of a judicial order to 'close' a cinema due to what was termed 'unconventional advertising on social media.' Media outlets close to the government in Iran reported that the promotion of a foreign film on social media was the 'reason' for this 'order.' In recent months, the closure of businesses, recreational venues, and even shopping complexes in Iran by the security and judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic has been chosen as a tool to combat voluntary hijab, and cinemas are not exempt from this trend. In this context, on June 30, the manager of the Mandana cinema complex in Tehran announced that the moral security police, at the order of the 8th District Prosecutor's Office of Greater Tehran, closed the cinema due to the attire of two audience members. Mohammad Qasem Ashrafi stated that the police closed this 62-year-old cinema after presenting two photos of the uncovered heads of two audience members, a 12-year-old child and a woman. Iranian media also reported on Saturday, June 6, the closure of the Golshan cinema complex in Mashhad, under the pretext of 'not adhering to the hijab by visitors.' At that time, ILNA news agency quoted Farzin Jirani, the manager of Golshan cinema, stating that the holding of a seminar in this cinema, which was accompanied by 'uncovering of hijab' by some attendees, was the reason for the closure of this complex. Since the beginning of the year 1402 in the Iranian calendar, the Islamic Republic has adopted a policy of sealing commercial places and business locations to deal with women who are no longer willing to comply with mandatory hijab. In this regard, one of the unprecedented actions of the government was the demolition of street cafes in the second phase of Ekbatan town. In late May of this year, Islamic Republic officials demolished several street cafes that had been operating for 10 years in Ekbatan town, citing 'municipal problems.' During the protests last year, which peaked following the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody of the morality police, the residents of Ekbatan town were among the neighborhoods in the capital that had a significant presence in the protests. The continuation of business closures to combat 'unveiling'; over a thousand business units in Gilan have been closed. Legal cases have been formed against 10 women's hair salons in Bandar Abbas; an Instagram user was arrested. The sealing due to 'non-compliance with hijab' has reached the 'roaring waves' of Mashhad. The intensification of 'closure therapy' of business and service units; from inns to cafes is on the list of closures.