Non-Public Warnings from the Qom Teachers Society to the President and Minister of Culture

The Secretary of the Supreme Council of the Seminaries and a member of the Qom Teachers Society announced the group's 'warnings' to the President, the Minister of Culture, and the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). He also implicitly accused the Minister of Culture of lacking control over his ministry. At the same time, he emphasized that the Teachers Society does not intend to make its warnings public and that publicizing these warnings would weaken the President and officials. Morteza Moqtadaei, a member of the Teachers Society, in an interview with Khabar Online published on Friday, September 20, also reported that the Teachers Society has submitted a 'single article' for approval to the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council so that this organization can 'legally' pay attention to the group's warnings. According to Mr. Moqtadaei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic has asked the Teachers Society to express their supportive or opposing views on national issues. He specified: 'We have also given warnings to the Ministry of Culture, and there have been cases where we have written confidential letters to the Minister or even the President. He has even issued directives for implementation regarding the warnings from two or three members of the Teachers Society who presented their reformist and Islamic views.' Regarding the performance of Ali Jannati, the Minister of Culture in Hassan Rouhani's government, he said: 'Sometimes the Minister does not believe in a path, but in the Ministry of Culture, there are people implementing their specific views. I think the Minister has also been unable to exert his influence.' Mr. Moqtadaei also reported that the Teachers Society has summoned the head of IRIB to this group 'or other places' and warned him about 'films, programs, or his stances.' He added: 'In cases where they said we have no law, we have prepared a single article and submitted it for approval to the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council so that they can legally pay attention to the warnings of the Teachers Society.' Mr. Moqtadaei had also said last December that the Supreme Leader had asked members of this society to summon the ministers of the eleventh government to explain their policies, decisions, and actions. Meanwhile, Mohammad Yazdi, the Secretary of the Teachers Society, in July 2014 reported sending several 'confidential' and 'top-secret' warnings to the President and threatened that if Hassan Rouhani ignored them, this group might formalize their warnings. Mr. Yazdi had also reported a heated conversation with Ali Yunessi, the special assistant to the President of Iran on ethnic and minority affairs. Mr. Yunessi confirmed his presence in the cultural commission of the Teachers Society and reported that Ayatollah Yazdi, the head of this organization, was angry with his remarks. Members of the Teachers Society have previously criticized the performance of the Ministry of Culture. For example, Mohammad Yazdi, the head of this group, in December 2014, attacked the performance of the Ministry of Culture in the field of music, asking Ali Jannati to warn the artistic deputy of this ministry that music is forbidden in Islam. In this context, Ali Jannati, the Minister of Culture, emphasized on Thursday evening, September 19, that he does not make decisions under pressure from parliament representatives and the media, but at the same time, he must consider 'legal and social constraints' and 'the jurisprudential views of the authorities.' The Secretary of the Supreme Council of the Seminaries also stated in another part of his remarks that the clergy does not interfere in the country's affairs, but at the same time has 'complete oversight' and will issue warnings wherever necessary. He emphasized that the Teachers Society does not intend to make its warnings to the country's officials public, stating that the publicization of these warnings would weaken the President and officials. Mr. Moqtadaei also referred to the statements of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, saying that the 'advice' of the religious authorities was not heeded in the previous government, but they did not make their statements public to say that this government does not listen to them. He stressed that in the previous government, the warnings of the Teachers Society were 'not acted upon.' Mr. Moqtadaei added: 'Thank God, the current President stated in remarks at the Feyziyeh School in Qom that we are following reforms and issues expressed out of concern and advice, and we comply with them.' During Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government, several prominent religious authorities protested against some government actions, including the order allowing women into stadiums and the statements of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, Ahmadinejad's chief of staff.