Concert Controversy Reaches Kermanshah: Warning from a Revolutionary Guard Commander about 'Cultural Decadence'

The commander of the Revolutionary Guard in Kermanshah has warned about the holding of music concerts in the province, stating that the 'tolerance of immoral acts' occurring at these concerts is 'unacceptable' and that 'the patience of revolutionary youth has its limits.' According to Fars News Agency, Bahman Reyhani, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard in Kermanshah, issued this warning during a meeting of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Headquarters in the province on Thursday, September 25. Mr. Reyhani claimed that 'most members of society' are 'dissatisfied' with the 'cultural decadence' at concerts, and this situation is 'not justifiable.' He added that a 'minority of society' attends these concerts, spending 'large amounts' of money, and the 'margins' of such programs must be 'controlled.' According to this Revolutionary Guard commander, 'it should not be assumed that Kermanshah is a good environment for cultural decadence,' as the atmosphere of concerts is 'anti-cultural.' He stated that 'inappropriate behaviors, immodesty, dancing, and mixing of non-mahrams at concerts have led to public protests.' The commander also warned that 'the patience of the people and revolutionary youth has its limits, and legal authorities will certainly not remain indifferent to this situation.' The holding of music concerts in Iran has become a controversial issue since Hassan Rouhani took over the executive branch. Some clerics, Revolutionary Guard commanders, media outlets, and conservative activists have repeatedly protested against concerts in various cities and have often prevented such events from taking place. Among them, Ahmad Alamolhoda, representative of Ali Khamenei in Razavi Khorasan, is noted as one of the staunchest opponents of concerts in Iran, with his repeated protests leading to the cancellation of concerts in Mashhad. Friday prayer leaders in the cities of Shiraz, Ramsar, Tonekabon, Sirjan, Khaf, and Anbarabad have also called for the prohibition of concerts in these cities, aligning with Alamolhoda. Ahmad Khatami, the interim Friday prayer leader of Tehran, has also accused the 'movement that organizes music concerts' of being a 'subversive movement' and stated that 'public funds should not be spent on concerts that distract from God.' In June 2014, he referred to some music concerts held in Iran as 'wrong, a rebellion against God, and an anti-cultural act.' The judiciary, the police's venues administration in Tehran, and the security council in counties are among the effective institutions in canceling concerts that the Ministry of Culture has permitted. The conflict between the government and other institutions over the holding of concerts continues, and in significant cases, the Ministry of Culture has retreated in these disputes and acted according to the opinions and demands of opponents. In this context, in September of this year, 32 members of parliament issued a warning to Ali Jannati, the Minister of Culture, demanding an explanation for his 'retreat' from executing 'cultural activities' in Mashhad and 'excluding' this city. President Hassan Rouhani also criticized the Minister of Culture's retreat on Tuesday, September 1, stating that 'anyone who wakes up in the morning and finds a podium cannot legislate, and the minister should not comply because the minister must follow the law.'