Khamenei Criticizes the 'Celebration of Uncommitted and Indifferent Artists'

On Tuesday, June 31, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for poetry to be written about the 'betrayals' of the United States in the JCPOA and criticized the 'promotion and celebration' of artists who are 'uncommitted and indifferent' in the country. In a meeting with a group of poets, the Supreme Leader stated: 'Sometimes a person who shows no inclination towards the concepts of Islam and the Islamic Revolution is celebrated, while an artist who has dedicated their entire life and artistic capital to Islam and the Revolution is not.' This is the second time in two weeks that Ayatollah Khamenei has used the term 'indifference' in discussions about culture and art in Iran, targeting executive bodies. In mid-June, he criticized the government's cultural actions, saying: 'In cultural matters, a kind of indifference and negligence is evident in cultural institutions, as there are shortcomings in producing beneficial cultural goods and preventing harmful cultural goods.' Last Tuesday night, Khamenei also called for poetry to express what he termed the 'betrayals of America' in the JCPOA. A week earlier, he had stated: 'If the Americans tear up the JCPOA, we will burn it.' The official website of Ayatollah Khamenei reported that this meeting included 'a group of cultural figures, professors of Persian poetry and literature, and both young and veteran poets from the country, alongside several poets from Pakistan and India.' Khamenei advised that poetry should be used as an 'effective tool' in what he described as 'soft warfare.' Another term frequently used by the Supreme Leader is 'soft warfare', which seems to refer to confronting Western cultural teachings and interpretations in Iran. In 2012, the Deputy for 'Basij and Defensive Culture' of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran announced that a new center called 'Soft Warfare Headquarters' had been established by the Supreme Leader's order. He has previously criticized the implementation of the nuclear agreement. Close associates of Ayatollah Khamenei have also increased their criticisms regarding the implementation of the nuclear agreement in recent months. In his meeting with the poets, Khamenei stated that 'living poetry' should be written to express the 'betrayals of the Americans in the JCPOA' and that 'especially poets should convey these realities to public opinion.' He also mentioned that compared to the past, 'remarkable poems' have been written about 'Palestine, Yemen, Bahrain, the Sacred Defense, the martyrs of divers, the martyrs of the defenders of the shrine,' or 'Sheikh Zakzaky', but 'these effective and uplifting poems are not well promoted and reflected, and there is negligence and lack of effort in this regard.' Many book publishers in Iran are state-affiliated, and according to statistics from 2011, the highest number of published books belongs to a publisher affiliated with the Islamic Propaganda Organization, which is managed under the Supreme Leader. Additionally, domestic radio and television in Iran are entirely state-run, and the selection of its president is also within the Supreme Leader's authority. Criticism of the implementation of the nuclear agreement, which Iranian government officials have raised with U.S. officials, has been met with a response from Washington. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, has stated that the U.S. has fulfilled all its commitments to lift sanctions on Iran according to the nuclear agreement. A U.S. Treasury official also stated last Thursday that the main body responsible for implementing and monitoring sanctions has strengthened its personnel to facilitate the review of trade requests with Iran.