The meeting of the Public Culture Council of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province was canceled following the protest of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative against the holding of a music concert in the province. The news was announced on Wednesday, September 31, by the information office of the representative of the Supreme Leader and Friday prayer leader of Shahr-e Kord. The news outlet reported that Mohammad Ali Nokunam, the Friday prayer leader of Shahr-e Kord, canceled the meeting in protest against a 'vulgar concert' that led to 'disrespecting the holy night of Eid al-Ghadir.' The official website of the Supreme Leader's representative in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari stated that the concert also resulted in 'disrespecting the public culture of the faithful and pious.' The local website 'Jahanbin News' published images from the exterior of the representative's office in Shahr-e Kord, showing a placard protesting the concert and the cancellation of the Public Culture Council meeting. Nokunam is among the clerics opposed to music concerts in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari and has previously urged government officials to reconsider holding concerts in the province. Recently, he stated in the Eid al-Adha sermon that 'the holding of music concerts is undoubtedly the work of the enemy to lead our society towards immorality and similar issues.' On Thursday, October 1, during a visit to the 'Mehr Wilayat' exhibition, he told the Tasnim news agency that 'the concert held on the night of Eid al-Ghadir in Shahr-e Kord was not much different from concerts in Western countries.' He added that he had seen a video of the concert showing 'a bunch of naked people in a completely dark and sinful space.' This conservative cleric further stated that 'today the enemy intends with all its might to take away our religious spirit and replace it with a spirit of worldly enjoyment and pleasure, and if we proceed with this spirit, we will no longer have the ability to confront America.' A group of clerics in Iran, many of whom are representatives of Ali Khamenei in various cities, have repeatedly protested against music concerts in recent years and called for the cessation of such programs. They claim they have no 'problem' with music but oppose the current methods of holding concerts, believing that this approach leads to the spread of 'vulgarity' and 'prostitution' in society. Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, is one of these clerics who, with similar reasoning, managed to ban concerts in Mashhad, and the Ministry of Culture under Hassan Rouhani also 'retreated' in the face of this conservative cleric, halting the issuance of concert permits in the city.
Concert in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Canceled Due to Friday Prayer Leader's Protest
A meeting of the Public Culture Council in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari was canceled due to protests from the Friday prayer leader against a music concert that he deemed disrespectful to religious values. This incident highlights ongoing tensions between conservative clerics and cultural events in Iran, reflecting broader societal debates over morality and artistic expression.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
A music concert in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari was canceled due to protests from a local religious leader, who deemed it disrespectful to religious values. This reflects ongoing tensions between conservative clerics and cultural events in Iran.
- The concert was criticized for being held on the holy night of Eid al-Ghadir.
- Clerics argue that such events promote immorality and are influenced by Western culture.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran has a history of tension between conservative religious authorities and proponents of cultural liberalization, with music concerts often at the center of these disputes.
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%