Iran has canceled all music events in southwest Iran, citing them as a cause for the ongoing drought in the region. Religious authorities have condemned the concerts as 'sinful', and one cleric even blamed them for the drought. This decision reflects the long-standing tension between cultural expression and religious conservatism in Iran, where music has been heavily censored since the 1979 Revolution.
All music events in southwest Iran have been canceled after they were blamed for causing drought in the region. The city of Abadan has faced criticism for granting concert permits, with religious authorities condemning them as 'sinful'. One cleric even went so far as to attribute the ongoing drought in the region to the music events, leading to the cancellation of several concert permits scheduled for February of this year.
This decision reflects a long-standing tension between cultural expression and religious conservatism in Iran. During the 1979 Revolution, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini banned 'all popular music', citing its potential to corrupt the minds of children. This extreme censorship of music in Iran led to a thriving black market where Western music was smuggled in through various clandestine channels. In recent years, some music events have been permitted in the country, but they are subject to strict government oversight. To this day, all music must undergo approval by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Album covers are frequently edited if they fail to meet the regime's standards.The city of Abadan's decision to allow concerts has drawn sharp rebukes from religious authorities, who view them as morally reprehensible. This censorship extends to international artists as well. Lady Gaga was erased from her 'Joanne' album, Lana Del Rey was edited out of her 'Norman F****** Rockwell' cover, Taylor Swift was removed from her 'Lover' album, and Beyonce was taken off her 'Homecoming' cover. Individuals caught with music deemed 'un-Islamic' face penalties ranging from fines and lashings to imprisonment for causing 'corruption on earth', though these punishments are less harshly enforced today than in the past. Other countries also exhibit strict regulations regarding music content, particularly Russia, where laws such as the 2010 Protection of Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development law and law 135, known as the 'gay propaganda ban', aim to control the dissemination of certain themes and messages deemed inappropriate for children.
Iran Music Censorship Religious Authority Drought Concert Ban
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