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-- Iran's President Bans Western Music

Iran's President Bans Western Music

quote:

Iran's President Bans Western Music TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has banned Western music from Iran's radio and TV stations, reviving one of the harshest cultural decrees from the early days of 1979 Islamic Revolution. Songs such as George Michael's "Careless Whisper," Eric Clapton's "Rush" and the Eagles' "Hotel California" have regularly accompanied Iranian broadcasts, as do tunes by saxophonist Kenny G. But the official IRAN Persian daily reported Monday that Ahmadinejad, as head of Iran's Supreme Cultural Revolutionary Council, ordered the enactment of an October ruling by the council to ban Western music. "Blocking indecent and Western music from the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting is required," according to a statement on the council's official Web site. Ahmadinejad's order means the IRIB must execute the decree and prepare a report on its implementation within six months, according to the newspaper. "This is terrible," said Iranian guitarist Babak Riahipour, whose music was played occasionally on state radio and TV. "The decision shows a lack of knowledge and experience." Music was outlawed as un-Islamic by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini soon after the revolution. But as the fervor of the revolution started to fade, light classical music was allowed on radio and television. Some public concerts reappeared in the late 1980s. Western music, films and clothing are widely available in Iran, and hip-hop can be heard on Tehran's streets, blaring from car speakers or from music shops. Bootleg videos and DVDs of films banned by the state are widely available in the black market. Following eight years of reformist-led rule in Iran, Ahmadinejad won office in August on a platform of reverting to ultraconservative principles promoted by the revolution. Since then, Ahmadinejad has jettisoned Iran's moderation in foreign policy and pursued a purge in the government, replacing pragmatic veterans with former military commanders and inexperienced religious hard-liners. He also has issued stinging criticisms of Israel, called for the Jewish state to be "wiped off the map" and described the Nazi Holocaust as a "myth." International concerns are high over Iran's nuclear program, with the United States accusing Tehran of pursuing an atomic weapons program. Iran denies the claims. During his presidential campaign, Ahmadinejad also promised to confront what he called the Western cultural invasion and promote Islamic values. The latest media ban also includes censorship of content of films. "Supervision of content from films, TV series and their voice-overs is emphasized in order to support spiritual cinema and to eliminate trite and violence," the council said in a statement on its Web site explaining its October ruling. The council has also issued a ban on foreign movies that promote "arrogant powers," an apparent reference to the United States. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...EMPLATE=DEFAULT

Isn't the youth of Iran supposed to be pro-Western and much more 21st century than the actual leaders? That being the case I don't see how they could live with something like a ban on music. But I suppose a revolt in a country like Iran is wishful Western thinking.

They'll be playing the soundtrack from Footloose any day now.

I was just about to post this topic. These actions are beyond any sense of purpose any longer with this guy. Hey the Iranians elected him however and he will faithfully create the society the way they want it to be I guess. Banning music in the 21st century should tell us about the Supreme Council in Iran. What will be next for them, I don't know maybe finally dealing with the issues Iranians actually elected him for like the condition of the poor and their concerns, oops guess that's for later after banning Western music.

i was about to post it, i put it in the COR, then i was going to put it here.

ide like to see an iranian counter-revolution to the islamic revolution. that would really be something.

I wouldn't attach too much significance to this, it's not nearly as bad as that article describes I'm sure.

For example, during the Cold War, the American propaganda was that the government "chose jobs for people" in the Soviet Union when in fact nothing of the sort ever happened, people chose jobs for themselves.

Or that there was no "freedom in the media" -- actually the movies that were shown on public TV in the Soviet Union in the 80s/90s would all have been censored on American TV.

Don't take this too seriously,

Re: Iran's President Bans Western Music

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Originally posted by josh4 Isn't the youth of Iran supposed to be pro-Western and much more 21st century than the actual leaders? That being the case I don't see how they could live with something like a ban on music. But I suppose a revolt in a country like Iran is wishful Western thinking.

http://www.activistchat.com/

No HardTrance. In Russia movies were fake. They portrayed happy country love/life where in the end everyone is happily together. Shit like Kubrick or Alfred Hitchcock would never be shown there and it never was. They banned anything that would make you think. Do you not understand this? So, if that's your best comparison then this is even worse then it seems.

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Originally posted by Lepanto They banned anything that would make you think.

Yeah, right. Ever thought about how a huge number of movie theaters in America in 2004 refused to show "Fahrenheit 9/11"? And what about that new Italian movie on the same subject, which will never be shown to American viewers?

the goal of some of my posts is to provoke and make you get "out of the box." I'm not saying my views are the only truth, but they do challenge that little bubble that you and many others are living in.

For example, the belief that "people live on trees" in Iran, or the Soviet Union, or whatever... When in fact, the number of crazy or ultra-conservative people and policies in this country is also great. You're laughing that people in Iran are prudes? Recall how THIS country reacted to a naked nipple shown for a brief second on TV.

I don't believe people "live in trees". Your posts are however based on faulty information. You know the difference between here and the USSR, however? People here have the CHOICE of seeing 9/11 movies or not. Do you honestly think this sort of shit could have happaned in the USSR? no it could not. Who freaked out with the naked nipple thing? America? No, last time i checked most guys/girls/comedians/(don't want to use a politicaly incorrect word but) non-rednecks couldn't care less. The FCC however was making a big deal out of it even though it wasn't. They had a case that they thought was valid and in some ways it was, little/younger kids do watch that shit and in some ways that is inappropriate. Though some of our views are a big ignorant and arrogant towards how life "really" is there it's not far from the truth when people say women are oppressed and people live like shit and are brainwashed to death, quiet literally. Any country in the world does the same shit that America does just in case you haven't noticed, trying to influence their citizens to thier own views but they can care less about the hippie no-good liberals, just like any country. However the fact remains that here you have a CHOICE whilst others aren't as lucky. And what's wrong with morals and tradition? Running around naked and fucking random people would be your idea of utopia? No thanks.


EDIT: You also said "Yeah, right" however that is right. I grew up there and so did my mother's side of the family and at any time i ask them about any foreign film, not just american, from the past generation they only mention Russian films which are all people singing and dancing and life is great. Also, if my word isn't enough, to you it prolly isn't, pick up a copy of Milan Kundera's Unbearable Lightness of Being.

Re: Re: Iran's President Bans Western Music

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Originally posted by DJ Lucas http://www.activistchat.com/

I think you meant this story with that ambiguous link. I found it's original source.

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Iran�s youth -- hopeful or hopeless? 10 November, 2005 Dr. N. Janardhan Editor, Gulf in the Media Gulf Research Center [email protected] Often the solution to a problem lies in converting the problem into a solution. Such an opportunity exists with Iran�s youth, who make up 65 percent of its population. This could well be the ticking bomb that Iran fears for itself even as the rest of the world fears its alleged plans for the nuclear bomb. But, just as the nuclear issue both reflects a crisis that could blow out of proportion and offers a glimmer of hope for Iran to return to the mainstream international scenario, the same could be true of Iran�s youth becoming the source of Iran�s boom or bust in the years to come. When Iranian policy-makers decided to lower the voting age to 16 in the elections soon after the 1979 Islamic revolution, they did not foresee that in two decades nearly two-thirds of the population would be youth. Given their role in the 1979 revolution and again in bringing Mohammed Khatami to power in the 1997 presidential elections, it is that constituency which requires utmost care to ensure political and social stability, as well as economic prosperity. Yet, it is this same section of the population that is most disgruntled, anxious and disillusioned in the face of an uncertain future. Many suggest that the results of the June presidential elections were disastrous to the hopes of the youth. But Mahmoud Ahmadinejad�s victory, by a record margin of over seven million votes, could also be interpreted as a triumph for the youth because about 35 percent of the 46.7 million eligible voters belonged to the 15-30 age groups. It appears that they were unimpressed by all other rhetoric except the promise to tackle poverty and unemployment. Currently, overall unemployment in Iran is about 16 percent, while unemployed women account for a staggering 21.2 percent. Of the 30 percent unemployed in the 15-30 age group, 34 percent are in the 15-19 and 16 percent in 25-29 years categories. A report commissioned by the Management and Planning Organization and the Iran Youth Organization at the end of 2004 predicted that if the annual unemployment rate holds up, the jobless rate among the youth will reach 52 percent within two years. Currently, local universities churn out over 300,000 graduates a year and 800,000 youth enter the job market annually. While most of the jobless population is classified as unskilled labor with a high school education or lower, unemployment is also high among graduates, with nearly 10,000 doctors reportedly unemployed currently. With only about 300,000 new jobs being created each year, the new government will have to nearly triple job opportunities to meet this staggering number. In recent years, young Iranian graduates have been emigrating to developed countries in droves. According to the International Monetary Fund and Unesco reports, Iran is first in emigration among 91 developing and developed countries, with more than 150,000 Iranians emigrating annually. Worse still, over 80 percent of Iranians studying in foreign universities don�t return. Statistics also suggest that 120 out of 240 young Iranian intellectuals who were awarded prizes at scientific competitions in recent times have emigrated. This brain drain can be stemmed and relatively reversed only when the economy looks up. The task related to meeting the needs of the youth is difficult, especially when they are disenchanted with the reformists� inability to deliver on the promises over the last eight years. But no one knows better than the conservatives that if the discontent youth took to the streets en masse, they could undo any regime. In trying to improve the plight of the youth and the country, the Iranian leadership could take a cue from China � ease social and economic restrictions while strengthening itself politically. The other demanding problems of Iranian society linked to the youth are combating nepotism and corruption, controlling inflation and combating drug addiction among over three million people. Economists suggest that answers to many of these ills lie in a growth rate of more than six percent per year. But, that�s where the problem also lies. Iran � with about 131 billion barrels as proven reserves, the world�s second largest after Saudi Arabia � will find it hard to diversify its economy, in which oil forms 85 percent of the exports. Further, its manufacturing sector is weak, with most raw materials and finished goods being imported. With Iran�s GDP only one-quarter of what it was in 1979 and with required investment estimated at over $120 billion in terms of job creation for the youth, the new populist conservative government could view this section of the population as the most effective point to cut from the past and rebuild the nation. Perhaps, it is the realization of their make-or-break potential that has led the new administration to make a beginning by launching an ambitious social spending program to quell discontent and create an environment of optimism � a $1.3-billion �love fund� targeting millions of low-income young couples currently unable to marry. Given the imperfect past and tense present of the country�s youth, Ahmadinejad�s election emphasis on redistribution of wealth could hold the best hope for a perfect future. The popularity surge from a reported seven percent in the pre-electoral stage to a stunning 62 percent at the finishing line could have well been a result of his motto �It�s possible and we can do it�. More importantly, even a marginal success of his promise to fight corruption could be the best stimulant to revitalize the youth and the country�s growth prospects. Till then, the bomb ticks� http://www.gulfinthemedia.com/index...d37b365d381a04f

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Originally posted by Lepanto People here have the CHOICE of seeing 9/11 movies or not.

How does an American living in Kentucky or Iowa have a CHOICE, when no movie theaters in those areas showed it? I agree that in the liberal enclaves like NYC and California there is a choice, but not in the heartland.

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They had a case that they thought was valid and in some ways it was, little/younger kids do watch that shit and in some ways that is inappropriate.

Then who is America to, for instance, ridicule Iran for censoring movies? Europe has the right to contrast itself with Iran, because their attitude to "objectionable material" is indeed a lot different, but in America -- let me remind you that Ashcroft, a government official, was so traumatized by a nude statue that he used taxpayer money to wrap a cloth around it, AND people in the "civilized liberal" city of Washington DC, where I live, cannot stand to look at naked mannequins at the mall, there was a huge storm here about that recently.

I don't know about you, but banning music (the subject of this topic) comes pretty close in stupidity to banning mannequins.

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when people say women are oppressed and people live like shit and are brainwashed to death, quiet literally.

Again: You're correct that it does happen in certain parts like Africa, but in other parts it's not necessarily true. Let me remind you that in the Soviet Union, women in many ways had more rights than women in America around that time. Access to abortion, holding all kinds of jobs, etc. was pretty universal.

So let me wrap up this post with this quote that you made:

quote:

Any country in the world does the same shit that America does just in case you haven't noticed

That's exactly my point. So let's stop pretending that America is somehow "special." Media censorship, information hiding (just think about Abu Ghraib + Downing Memo +..), and conservative attitudes, happen here just like they do everywhere else. Sometimes even more, amazingly. You wanna ridicule Iran or China for throwing gay people in jail? Then acknowledge that as recently as 2 years ago, Texas did exactly the same thing, literally.

Once again, dude stop pointing out USSR, WOMEN HAD NOTHING EVEN CLOSE TO WHAT YOU'VE SAID. and most were treated like shit no matter in what profesion. Also, the point i was trying to make is that we do have a choice and more importantly we have more liberties and choices in our lives than others. I know this because i've lived and been to many parts of the world and though somethings are better most aren't and i'm very content with what I have in the USA. So, people are offended by naked manequins big deal bro. There are more important things in life are there not? And I don't think it's in the same ballpark as music, a form of creation and a throught-provoker.

i fail to see the wrongfullness in this act.

Re: Iran's President Bans Western Music

quote:

Originally posted by josh4 Isn't the youth of Iran supposed to be pro-Western and much more 21st century than the actual leaders? That being the case I don't see how they could live with something like a ban on music. But I suppose a revolt in a country like Iran is wishful Western thinking.

My Gawd! I agree with Josh!!

Well this ban is the last straw.

Bush should stand down our forces in Iraq, move them towards the Iranian border, and bomb the fuck out of that eeevil dictator.

Ban our music, are you fucking kidding me? Is he just inviting our bombs into his country or something? What a crazy bastard - he sure seemed like a like-minded dictator. But this is certainly the last straw.....

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Originally posted by MisterOpus1 Well this ban is the last straw. Bush should stand down our forces in Iraq, move them towards the Iranian border, and bomb the fuck out of that eeevil dictator. Ban our music, are you fucking kidding me? Is he just inviting our bombs into his country or something? What a crazy bastard - he sure seemed like a like-minded dictator. But this is certainly the last straw.....

Invade Iran because he banned music, are you nuts?! What have you been smoking Opus that's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard!

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Originally posted by josh4 Invade Iran because he banned music, are you nuts?! What have you been smoking Opus that's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard!

Of course I'm serious.........
























.....and don't call me Shirley.

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Originally posted by MisterOpus1 .....and don't call me Shirley.

Got a bit ahead of yourself, didn't you? Gotta wait for the joke to be teed up just right. So, what Josh meant to say was, "Surely you can't be serious!"

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Originally posted by Shakka Got a bit ahead of yourself, didn't you? Gotta wait for the joke to be teed up just right. So, what Josh meant to say was, "Surely you can't be serious!"

Shut up Shakka! Gawd!

Sorry Napoleon.

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