Friday Prayer Leader of Urmia: Promoting Halal Music is Incompatible with the Goals of the Islamic Republic

In a recent statement opposing music performances in Iran, the Friday prayer leader of Urmia has declared that promoting music, even halal music, is not compatible with the "higher goals" of the Islamic Republic and that young people should spend their time learning necessary sciences and skills. According to Khabar Online, Mehdi Qureshi suggested during the Friday prayers on March 6 that "it is better for young people to spend their leisure time on sports and healthy entertainment," adding that "the issue of music concerts has recently entered universities and scientific centers, and university officials, professors, and students should pay more attention to this matter." Qureshi further stated that "scientific discussions should be emphasized more in universities than music, and therefore I urge the heads of universities in the province to implement the directives of the Supreme Leader." In recent weeks, the cancellation of several music concerts in various cities of Iran has caused dissatisfaction among the public and music professionals. In the past week or two, two concerts by Alireza Ghorbani, one at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran ordered by university officials and the other at Azad University in Golbahar near Mashhad, were canceled by the city prosecutor's order. Following these cancellations, the Iranian Minister of Culture criticized the judicial officials for preventing concerts and called on governors to defend and support the music permits from his ministry. Ali Jannati stated, "It makes no sense for a judicial authority or another group to prevent traditional music or performances that have permits. Or to prevent a concert that has a permit and is conducted with gender segregation at a university." In this context, Daryoush Pirniakan, spokesperson for the House of Music of Iran, announced last week in an interview with ISNA that "we are a professional organization and will hold a meeting regarding the recent concert cancellations in the country, and we do not have any dealings with the music office of the Ministry of Culture." After the cancellations on March 1, the House of Music of Iran issued a statement declaring that "noble art and committed artists of this land have been pressured and besieged in a suspicious uproar and in political battles and factional settlements." On the other hand, today, March 6, Pirouz Arjomand, head of the music office of the Ministry of Culture, in an interview with Mehr News Agency, referred to the necessity of creating interaction with the police force, stating, "In 2014, we reached a memorandum with the police, the contents of which were finalized recently and is now ready for signature by the Minister of Culture and the police commander; with this memorandum, many of the problems of holding concerts will be resolved." Arjomand also mentioned the presence of religious advisors in the music office of the Ministry of Culture, adding, "We have made good progress in jurisprudential discussions in 2014, so that several religious advisors have participated in the numerous meetings we have; of course, I have had many meetings with grand ayatollahs, sources of emulation, and Friday prayer leaders of cities during this time." In recent weeks, some clerics and Friday prayer leaders have expressed their opposition to holding music concerts. Among them, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, head of the Assembly of Experts Secretariat, criticized the Ministry of Culture's performance in the music sector and asked Ali Jannati to remind the artistic deputy of the ministry that music is forbidden in Islam. The Minister of Culture has also stated that "there is a difference of opinion among scholars regarding music. Some consider it completely forbidden, while others do not. We respect the opinions of all scholars, but our criterion in this regard is to pay attention to the statements and fatwas of the Supreme Leader."