“Revolutionary Youths” Declare War on Music

A radical group in Mashhad has called for music concerts to be banned.

“We will not allow the spiritual capital of Islamic Iran to be soiled by music concerts,” announced the group, which calls itself “Hezbollah.”

The group issued its statement shortly after Mashad’s Revolutionary Court and the General Prosecutor’s Office in Chenaran cancelled a concert by singer Alireza Ghorbani that had been due to take place at Azad Golbahar University. The group promised to stamp out musical performances in Khorasan Razavi province, and, working with other “revolutionary youth” groups, across the nation.

“If you wish your country to be a proper country, you should forsake music,” the statement, which was published on the website of the Khorasan Razavi branch of the Iran Students’ News Agency (ISNA). “Don’t be afraid of being called a fanatic. Let’s be fanatics.”

The group described musical performances as a “cultural calamity” and said it would not stand by while “cultural criminals” tried to destroy the “faith of the nation,” referring to authorities that had granted permits for concerts to be hosted in Mashhad and the wider province. This, the group claimed, had “hurt the feeling of thousands of faithful zealous revolutionary people.”

“Tyrants” had allowed “religiously unlawful,” concerts to take place, an act that was particularly shameful considering the fact that the Supreme Leader had announced that the year 1393 (2014-2015) was the “Year of Economy and Culture with national determination and Jihadi Management.” By adopting a “liberal attitude” and disregarding the Leader’s call to uphold Islamic culture, these authorities were insulting the clergy, Islamic values and the people of Iran. “They want to institutionalize sin in society,” it said.

Quoting Ayatollah Khomeini, the group said it had a responsibility to speak out and take appropriate action. “In the name of the destroyer of despots... we warn the authorities that we will not stay quiet and will act according to Imam Khomeini’s will.” 

Read the original article in Persian