Following the appearance of Salar Aghili, a traditional music singer, on the satellite network 'Manoto' and the publication of photos of him alongside the network's staff and BBC Persian, Ali Jannati, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, deemed this action 'unacceptable' and stated that 'no artist should engage in such actions.' According to the official news agency of the Islamic Republic, IRNA, Mr. Jannati, speaking to reporters in Qazvin on Tuesday, February 25, said: 'Artists who interview with foreign satellite networks will be deprived of the support of this ministry.' The Minister of Culture specifically mentioned Salar Aghili and the controversies surrounding his appearance on foreign satellite networks, stating that we should allow this 'famous singer' to return from abroad and explain this incident. Ali Jannati emphasized that 'we should not make premature judgments.' In recent months, officials from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the state television of Iran have warned about the cooperation and presence of Iranian artists on foreign Persian-language satellite networks. On December 4, Hossein Nooshabadi, the spokesman for the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, told news agencies that 'any cooperation with foreign satellite networks is considered a violation and violators will be dealt with.' Ali Asghar Pourmohammadi, the deputy of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Organization, also acknowledged the existence of a crisis in television on December 15, stressing that 'if an actor or any other individual' cooperates with foreign satellite networks, this organization 'will be unable to cooperate with them.' According to ILNA, the Iranian Labor News Agency, Salar Aghili has been excluded from the 31st Fajr Music Festival following his appearance on the 'Manoto' network. Farzad Talebi, the head of the Music Office, announced that this institution agreed with the removal of Mr. Aghili from the Fajr Music Festival, stating that the responsibility for this singer's removal lies with the festival's director.
Minister of Culture: No Artist Should Appear on Satellite Networks
Iran's Minister of Culture, Ali Jannati, condemned artist Salar Aghili's appearance on the satellite network 'Manoto' and warned that artists collaborating with foreign networks would lose government support. This incident reflects ongoing tensions between Iranian authorities and artists regarding foreign media engagement.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Minister of Culture Ali Jannati condemned singer Salar Aghili for appearing on the satellite network 'Manoto' and warned that artists collaborating with foreign networks would lose government support. Aghili has since been excluded from the Fajr Music Festival due to this incident.
- Ali Jannati stated that artists who engage with foreign satellite networks will be deprived of government support.
- Salar Aghili's appearance on 'Manoto' led to his removal from the Fajr Music Festival.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iranian authorities have a history of censoring artists and limiting their engagement with foreign media, viewing it as a threat to cultural integrity. This reflects broader issues of freedom of expression in the country.
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Translation confidence: 85%