Protests Against ISIS Display at Kourosh Complex for Hatami Kia's Film Promotion

A group dressed as members of ISIS entered the Kourosh Cinema Complex in Tehran for the promotion of the film "Time for Damascus" by director Ebrahim Hatami Kia, which led to severe criticism from Persian-speaking social media users and an apology from the director. On the evening of Tuesday, May 7, during the unveiling ceremony of the film's music album composed by Karan Homayounfar, this group, portraying themselves as members of the so-called "Islamic State," arrived on horseback with swords. This promotional idea, intended for the film "Time for Damascus" and its music album, caused panic among some attendees at the complex, as evidenced by images shared on social media and news websites. The film "Time for Damascus," funded by the art and media organization "Owj" affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, addresses the Syrian civil war and, as Hatami Kia stated, pays tribute to the "Defenders of the Shrine," the forces sent by the Islamic Republic to support Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war. A user on Twitter suggested that the presence of Hatami Kia's ISIS impersonators in the city and their intimidation of people could be seen as a form of mental preparation for the increased presence of rogue and extremist forces in society. Some social media users equated the Islamic Republic with ISIS, sharing images of young people being beaten by Iranian police or referencing actions by so-called Hezbollah forces over the past four decades. Meanwhile, Mohammad Khakpour, a former captain of the Iranian national football team, published a note sharply criticizing Ebrahim Hatami Kia, labeling him a "money worshipper" who "earns his bread at the cost of the psychological terror of the wives and sisters of the land of Iran and causes thousands of psychological injuries to children who come to shopping centers for fun and play." Part of this note stated: "A child who cannot sleep at night after witnessing the brutal actions of your agents, a young girl who goes days without food out of fear due to your foolishness and money-worshiping mentality, is my child, my sister, and my mother even if I have never seen them." The totality of these reactions compelled Ebrahim Hatami Kia to apologize. In his apology message, he emphasized that he had imagined "someone with a red beard standing outside Kourosh for people to take pictures with him." He added, "Neither a horse, nor a group, nor a shout, nor anything like that was in my imagination, and I was unaware." This filmmaker ultimately requested "forgiveness" from the people and shopkeepers of the Kourosh complex. The film "Time for Damascus" received three Crystal Simorgh awards at the 36th Fajr Film Festival, and Ebrahim Hatami Kia introduced himself as an affiliated filmmaker during the award ceremony.