Hossameddin Ashna: I Neither Confirm Nor Deny the Resignation of the Minister of Culture

Hossameddin Ashna, the cultural advisor to the President, stated that he neither confirms nor denies reports regarding the resignation of Ali Jannati, the Minister of Culture, and his introduction as a successor. Ashna made these remarks on Thursday (October 22) in response to a question from the Tasnim news agency about whether 'the text of Jannati's resignation has been placed on the President's desk.' He said, 'I neither confirm nor deny this issue, and if such a thing happens, it will definitely be addressed at the start of the week, as the President has just returned from a trip.' In response to another question about his introduction as Jannati's successor, he also stated, 'I neither confirm nor deny this matter.' The issue of Ali Jannati's resignation from the Ministry of Culture has been circulating for about a month, as reported by the conservative website Mashregh News on October 10, and recently 'based on hearsay, it is taking on a semblance of reality.' This website implicitly suggested that Hassan Rouhani would 'sacrifice' Ali Jannati to take a 'victimhood stance,' and that linking Jannati's resignation to cultural events, pressures, and criticisms is somewhat of a joke. This note comes at a time when Ali Jannati and the Ministry of Culture under Rouhani's government have faced severe pressures and criticisms from conservatives over the past three years, one result of which was the resignation of the director of the Culture and Islamic Guidance office in Qom. Abbas Daneshi, the former director of the Culture and Islamic Guidance office in Qom, was forced to resign last week following protests from religious authorities and pressures from conservatives due to a concert held in the city. Mohammad Yazdi, the head of the Supreme Council of the Society of Teachers of Qom Seminary and a senior cleric in the Islamic Republic, was one of those who reacted strongly to the concert and called for Daneshi's dismissal. After Jannati accepted Daneshi's resignation, some conservative media reported on the 'resignation' or 'dismissal' of the Minister of Culture. Hussein Nouh-Abadi, the spokesman for the Ministry of Culture, also reacted to these reports, stating, 'I strongly deny this matter. There has been no discussion of resignation, dismissal, or even the removal of the Minister of Culture.' Nouh-Abadi added, 'There is no pressure or pursuit for resignation or dismissal,' and 'the President always emphasizes that certain issues and considerations must be taken into account' so that 'the good relationship between the government and scholars, the seminary, and religious authorities' is not compromised.