Ministry of Science Criticizes Arrest of University Deputy Over Concert Permit

About a week after the arrest of the Deputy of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad due to a music concert held at the university, the Deputy Minister of Science in Iran sharply criticized judicial officials, calling their actions "light" and "ill-considered." Zia Hashemi, the Deputy for Cultural and Social Affairs at the Ministry of Science, stated on Tuesday, March 2, in a gathering with reporters: "I believe it is the right of the university and its defenders to file a lawsuit and restore their dignity against such light and ill-considered behavior, as the rationality governing the university does not permit such actions." Last Wednesday, some domestic media, including Ensaf News and Mashhad News, reported that Ali Yousefi, the Deputy for Cultural and Social Affairs at Ferdowsi University, was arrested due to a music concert that had taken place a few days earlier at the university. These reports included statements from Mr. Yousefi's son and the university's public relations officer confirming his arrest. However, Ensaf News later that night reported that Ali Yousefi had been released, an action that the Deputy Minister of Science claims was achieved through the intervention of the Minister of Science and the Friday Prayer Leader of Mashhad. According to the news agencies Mehr and ISNA, Zia Hashemi stated: "The Ministry of Science seriously pursued the incident that occurred at Mashhad University, and the Minister was following up on the matter from the first hours when the news reached the ministry. I also thank the Friday Prayer Leader of Mashhad, who is an educated person, for intervening in this matter and preventing the continuation of an issue between the university and the judiciary." He noted that the Ministry of Science bows to the law but expects that "law enforcement officials also bow to the law and do not allow misunderstandings to reach this level." Hashemi concluded by saying: "Many issues, such as whether music conflicts with the sanctity and privacy of the Imam Reza shrine or how far the sacred precinct extends, are open for discussion, and all these contentious matters can be resolved through dialogue without needing to bring law enforcement into the field over minor issues." Recently, Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday Prayer Leader of Mashhad, stated in his Friday sermon that "the entire city of Mashhad belongs to Imam Reza, and holding a concert at the Imam Reza shrine is a form of entertainment." In recent days, a concert by the group "Eshteghaq" featuring vocalist Alireza Ghorbani in Golbahar, near Mashhad, was also canceled. In this context, Ghorbani's concert was canceled due to its "incompatibility with the authentic culture" of Golbahar. The Minister of Culture stated: "We cannot resist the cancellation of concerts."