Interior Minister: Only the Ministry of Culture can comment on concert content

The Interior Minister of Iran stated that only the Ministry of Culture can provide opinions regarding concert content, mentioning that the issue of concert cancellations by prosecutors is primarily related to Khorasan Razavi province, with little to no such issues in other provinces. However, the Minister of Culture acknowledged that after 37 years since the Islamic Revolution, the status of music remains unclear, with many differing opinions on which music is permissible and which is forbidden. According to state news agency IRNA, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the Interior Minister, on Saturday, August 6, referred to the cancellations of concerts in Khorasan Razavi by the judiciary, stating that this issue is mainly present in Khorasan Razavi and that such matters are either absent or very rare in other provinces. He announced his intention to write a letter to the head of the judiciary to implement a 'method' and 'uniformity' across the country. Rahmani Fazli emphasized that the Ministry of Culture is responsible for issuing legal permits and determining concert content, stating that 'no one can comment on concert content other than the Ministry of Culture.' He stressed that the judiciary can intervene in matters contrary to public decency or crimes, but it is unacceptable for them to preemptively determine that an incident may occur. Khorasan Razavi has made headlines in recent months due to multiple cancellations of music concerts, including those of Shahram Nazeri and Kayhan Kalhor. Hadi Sadeghi, the cultural deputy of the judiciary, implicitly confirmed the ban on concerts in this province in an interview with Shargh newspaper. In recent years, following opposition from Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad and the current representative of the Supreme Leader in Khorasan Razavi, several concerts in Mashhad and other cities in this province have been canceled. The judiciary's actions to prevent certain concerts have repeatedly put officials from the executive and judicial branches at odds. The Minister of Culture also referred to the prosecutors' interference as the 'main obstacle' to holding certain concerts and had previously mentioned correspondence with officials of this institution to allow licensed concerts. In contrast, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesperson for the judiciary, emphasized on Sunday, June 12, the need to prevent concerts that are 'against public decency,' stating that if concert organizers do not commit to this, prosecutors will prevent the concerts from taking place. 'Either seminaries should become familiar with music or we should send some composers to seminaries,' the Minister of Culture stated in an interview with Shargh newspaper, reiterating that after 37 years since the Islamic Revolution, the status of music remains unclear, and there are many differing opinions on which music is halal and which is haram. He noted that 'some scholars' consider music to be 'absolutely haram' and added that the Ministry of Culture is 'subordinate' to the opinions and fatwas of the Supreme Leader. He further stated, 'It would be better for our seminaries to become familiar with musical instruments or for some composers to be sent to seminaries to study and become jurists, so they can ultimately derive rulings on this subject.' According to IRNA, Mr. Jannati stated that from the perspective of the Supreme Leader, only music that is 'for amusement and provocative' is haram, and 'there is no problem with other types.' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, has previously stated that 'teaching and promoting music for teenagers is not compatible with the goals of the Islamic Republic.' Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, the former head of the Assembly of Experts, also criticized the Ministry of Culture's performance in the music sector in 2014, urging Ali Jannati to remind the artistic deputy of this ministry that music is haram in Islam. In this context, the prosecutor of Mashhad announced a temporary ban on all concerts in Khorasan Razavi province.