Reactions to the Sexual Scandal of the Director of Culture and Guidance in Gilan; MP: It's a Disaster

A member of the National Security Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly reacted to the release of a video showing the sexual relationship of Reza Taqati, the Director of Culture and Guidance in Gilan, with a man, calling it an 'insult to the Quran.' However, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament considered Taqati's dismissal 'hasty' and stated that nothing has yet been 'proven.' According to reports from Iranian news agencies, Morteza Mahmoudvand, a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, speaking in the open session of Parliament on Sunday, August 1, referred to the reactions on social media regarding the release of the video as a 'disaster.' Mahmoudvand stated, 'We condemned the burning of the Quran in Sweden yesterday, but in reality, an insult to the Holy Quran has occurred right here in Gilan.' He emphasized that 'we have no answer for the religious and Hezbollah youth' and called for the intervention of the President and the resignation of the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, saying, 'How can someone responsible for hijab and chastity commit such a crime?' In response to these remarks, Mojtaba Zolnoor, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, stated, 'We should not act ahead of the law and Sharia,' and remarked that 'the government actually acted hastily in the dismissal' and 'until someone's crime is proven, under what title should they be dealt with?' Raising this issue in a public forum has a 'Sharia guarantee,' as it is 'not proven,' and 'if something has happened, security and judicial agencies will investigate.' Following reports about the sexual relationship of Reza Taqati, the Director of Culture and Guidance in Gilan with a man, this government official, who was the founder of a 'Chastity and Hijab' workshop, was dismissed, and the public relations office of the Gilan Culture and Guidance Department stated that his dismissal was due to 'suspicions of corruption' and that his case had 'many ambiguities.' The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance appointed Reza Taqati, who is married with three children, as someone with 'valuable experiences and revolutionary and religious spirit' to head the Gilan Culture and Guidance Department a year and a half ago. Additionally, it is noted that in recent days, the Fars news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, accused theater actor Mohammad Sadeghi of 'promoting homosexuality' without providing any evidence, while the public relations office of the Gilan Culture and Guidance Department announced that the case of the former director of this organization was sent to the judiciary 'for precise investigation' without any 'prejudice and defamation of individuals' dignity and reputation.'