The most unprecedentedly oppressive policies toward the audio/visual arts

Iran Press News: Translation by Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi

Two and a half months after Ahmadinejad's installment to presidency, the policies for a new cinema for the Islamic Republic were announced on Thursday, Oct. 20th; these oppressive policies and unprecedented prohibitions will be applied to film-related issues, film production, distribution and cinemas.

These are the harshest rules ever, since the emergence of the Islamic Republic. Based on the regulations that were devised by the High Assembly for Revolutionary Culture, supervised by Ahmadinejad himself, all films will be reviewed by "cultural and artistic" board of regime authorities and if they are in any way found to either specifically or suggestively promote the agenda of the "world subjugators," they will be banned. The board has also banned the distribution of films, which contain or promote Secularism (specifically the subject of separation of religion and state), Liberalism as well as Feminism (equal rights). These policies were determinations of this assembly's last meeting; during the meeting it was also concluded that these rules would apply to all television shows, video and DVD sales as well.

The High Assembly for Revolutionary Culture, which convened in Tehran on Wednesday, Oct. 19th, also imposes these rules on the distribution and exhibition of every single film and audio/visual material from abroad.

Ahmadinejad ruled that all Iranian films, television programs as well as audio/visual material must be created within the framework of and for the purpose of "enhancing religious beliefs and the development of a culture of Puritanism".