Criticism from Principlist Media Over Dismissal of Director of the Book Administration at the Ministry of Culture

Ali Shojaei Saein has been dismissed from his position as the head of the Book Administration of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, an event that has drawn severe criticism from Principlist media outlets such as the newspaper Javan and the news agency Fars. Iranian news agencies reported on Saturday, January 30, that Mr. Shojaei Saein was removed from his position by Abbas Salehi, the cultural deputy of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and that Homayoun Amirzadeh has taken over as the interim head of this administration. The Book Administration, which had its name changed to the Office for the Development of Books and Reading a year ago, is the body responsible for granting publication licenses for books, and any book wishing to be published in Iran must pass through the censorship of this governmental entity. However, the dismissal of Ali Shojaei Saein from the management of this institution has been accompanied by severe criticism from Principlist media, with Fars news agency stating that 'the head of the Book Administration was dismissed for saying 'no'.' This news agency claims that 'behind the scenes of this dismissal' lies the refusal to grant permission for the books 'Colonel' by Mahmoud Dowlatabadi and 'I This Generation' by Mohammad Reza Asadzadeh, the director and editor-in-chief of the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA), which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. The newspaper Javan, linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also connected Mr. Shojaei Saein's dismissal to the issue of the book 'I This Generation' and wrote: 'It seems that the head of the Book Administration was dismissed due to his opposition to the publication of the offensive book by the editor of IBNA and his stance against it, thus paying the price for his honesty!' Ali Shojaei Saein recently stated in an interview with the newspaper Javan that he had repeatedly warned the cultural deputy of the Ministry of Culture about this book and its author. The book 'I This Generation', published in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is a critical report on the social situation in Iran, which has faced severe attacks from Principlists, with the newspaper Javan considering it an insult to the leader of the Islamic Republic. This newspaper has also called for the dismissal of Mohammad Reza Asadzadeh from his management and editorial position at the Iran Book News Agency. Meanwhile, the Mehr news agency conducted an interview with Hossein Nooshabadi, the spokesman for the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, who denied any connection between Mr. Shojaei Saein's dismissal and his stance against the book 'I This Generation'. Mr. Nooshabadi stated: 'These are speculations that exist in the media, but these developments are not significantly related to these discussions as nothing is supposed to happen just because of a statement.' According to him, the dismissal of Mr. Shojaei Saein was 'a measure and consideration to address the accumulated expectations and demands of users in the book sector and to respond to them better, with the aim of ensuring that tasks are carried out more accurately and to witness less inconsistency.' Mr. Nooshabadi ultimately emphasized that the dismissal of Ali Shojaei Saein from the management of the Book Administration was 'with the knowledge and coordination' of Ali Jannati, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance. But who is the interim head of the Book Administration? Reports from domestic news agencies mention the following qualifications of Homayoun Amirzadeh: 'Scientific, cultural, and managerial advisor to the Deputy for Cultural Affairs, Director General of Culture and Guidance of Hormozgan Province, Deputy of the General Directorate of Provinces of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Head of the National Publishing License Issuance Board, and Head of the Appeals Board for Publisher Violations.'