Ministry Says No to Rap

Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has announced that it will not be granting permits for rap concerts. On December 9, ministry spokesman Hossein Nooshabadi told the press that, because rap encourages wild behaviour that could have a detrimental effect on society, it will not be part of Iran’s live music scene.

Nooshabadi told Farhang News and other outlets that venues wanting to host traditional or pop music concerts were likely to be granted permits.

“Prominent international musicians, such as Yanni, contribute to the diplomacy of cultural interaction — and the minister for Islamic Guidance has no problem with that,” Nooshabadi said. Yanni, a Greek pop star, is scheduled to perform on the Iranian island of Kish. “Those wishing to put on similar concerts in the country can submit their written application to the ministry, and if there are no restrictions, permission will be granted.”

Joint guidelines for how the police and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance work together were being prepared, Nooshabadi revealed. “The guidelines will help police and ministry officials follow defined procedures in dealing with cultural and artistic activities,” he said. “And they will  prevent any unwanted incidents normally associated with concerts and other events.” Nooshabadi did not go into detail about what sort of incidents the ministry was hoping to prevent, but he could well be referring to a concert in Yazd earlier this year, which was disrupted by protests. In May, about 50 people called for a performance by Iranian musician Vahid Taj to be called off.

Read the original article in Persian