Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance: Dishonesty and Slander Have Increased in Society

The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Hassan Rouhani's government, Ali Jannati, criticized the moral state of Iranian society on Saturday, September 7, stating: "We pay less attention to how much dishonesty, breach of trust, slander behind others, and false accusations have increased in society." Speaking on a television program, Jannati added: "Even our elites who run the media easily make false accusations and lies against those they have enmity or disagreement with, and this is very dangerous for a religious society." On Thursday, July 3, 2014, Jannati had also addressed conservative critics of Rouhani's government, saying that their main concern was why a woman was wearing leggings, while the government had deeper worries, namely the moral decline of society. He also emphasized that in Iranian society, "the rate of theft is increasing, moral corruption has risen, the age of prostitution has decreased, and the family structure has been damaged," to the extent that "25% of marriages" in the country end in divorce. On August 12, Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also declared the "cultural and moral state of society" in Iran to be "very concerning," stating that "we have made no progress in these areas." Jannati continued his remarks by referring to the challenges faced by society due to what he called "multiple cultural and social anomalies," emphasizing that "satellite communications," "virtual spaces," "social networks," and the increase in Iranians traveling abroad create "serious challenges" despite their positive cultural effects. He noted that one of these challenges regarding family is the disinterest of youth in marriage, rising divorce rates, and the very ugly phenomenon of "white marriage" in the past five months. Previously, Islamic Republic officials have repeatedly expressed concern about the decline in marriage and the increase in divorce, as well as the rise in "white marriages," which refer to men and women living together without formal marriage. For instance, Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, head of the Supreme Leader's office, criticized so-called "white marriages" on Sunday, December 9, 2014, stating that it won't be long before the "halal" generation of people choosing this lifestyle disappears, and their offspring will become what he called "illegitimate." The Minister of Culture further stated that the "Iranian-Islamic lifestyle" has been "affected" by new conditions and global changes. Jannati remarked: "We are facing multiple cultural and social anomalies in our country that unfortunately are numerous and are considered cultural challenges. We live in a world where communications and developments in this area have become very extensive and rapid." He added: "When we compare it to 10 or 15 years ago, satellite communications, virtual spaces, social networks, and the travel of our citizens to European and neighboring countries have increased significantly. These communications create serious challenges that we have witnessed in recent years." In this television program, which coincided with Government Week in Iran, he also provided a report on the ministry's actions. In another part of his speech, the Minister stated that this ministry is striving to ensure that "everyone who has something to say, write, or express can voice their opinions." He emphasized that the Ministry of Culture has tried to open the space for writing, speaking, expressing opinions, and filmmaking. He added: "We believe that in such an environment, culture grows, not in a closed space; in fact, in the realm of exchanging ideas and debate, individuals can grow." The Ministry of Culture has faced challenges during Rouhani's government, such as concert cancellations, protests from several religious authorities against the screening of certain films and other cultural programs, and hardline groups have gathered several times in front of this ministry. In response to these pressures, this ministry has, in some cases, canceled the permits for screening certain films, concerts, and other cultural programs, which has led to protests from artists and supporters of Rouhani's government.