Wave of Support from Cinema Figures for Mo'tamed-Arya Following Attack by Kashan Friday Prayer Leader

Following protests against the presence of Fatemeh Mo'tamed-Arya in Kashan, several Iranian cinema artists, including the head of the country's cinema organization and the CEO of the House of Cinema, criticized the treatment of this actress. According to ISNA, Reza Mirkarimi, CEO of the House of Cinema, implicitly accused Abdul Nabi Namazi, the Friday Prayer Leader of Kashan, of 'spreading distrust and concern in society' in a letter. Mirkarimi stated that based on his own research, 'not only has no wrongdoing occurred, but evidence suggests that a pre-organized and non-spontaneous action played a role in creating this incident.' Mirkarimi described the Friday Prayer Leader's stance as 'concerning' after Namazi likened the film critique session featuring Mo'tamed-Arya to a 'gathering of amusement and play' and announced his intention to declare a 'public mourning' on Friday for this purpose. On Sunday, January 24, a group referred to as 'self-appointed agents' attempted to disrupt the Q&A session for the film 'Yahya Did Not Remain Silent,' directed by Kaveh Ebrahim Pour, which was held in the cinema of Kashan with the presence of Mo'tamed-Arya. In response to this incident, Jamshid Mashayekhi, head of the board of directors of the actors' guild, condemned the event as 'abhorrent behavior.' Hojjatollah Ayubi, head of the cinema organization, also described the treatment of the beloved actress as 'unpleasant' and urged her to overlook this 'disrespect.' Other figures in Iranian cinema, such as Tahmineh Milani, Reza Kianian, Parviz Parastui, Mohsen Amiryousefi, Ahmad Mehranfar, and Shabnam Ghodsi, also reacted to this incident in media interviews or on their personal social media pages, expressing support for Mo'tamed-Arya.