now the jerk takes a further step

from Yahoo! News:

"Iran's President Bans Western Music"

TEHRAN, Iran - 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.


I can't really decide if he's a jerk, or he's an idiot.

Yeah, I read about that. Crazy world. Any chance of you moving to another country any time soon? Cause the way things seem to be going, soon they'll ban the internet.

Ice

Well, after reading he described the holocaust as a myth, I'd say he's an idiot.

i seriously thought this was about me

i'm not joking mate but the way iran is heading i'd watch how liberal you are with circulating stuff like this and commenting on it....

just for your own back. i dunno if people can find out what you're looking at or posting without actually being at your computer.... (anyone with any idea?)


it's a really bad situation and to think on another board I'm arguing with guys claiming that america is a fascist police state....

Neither a jerk or an idiot, a dangerous extremist bastard smartly preparing his war, isolating his people, testing the international community, and getting is message across to his co-extremists elsewhere on the planet.

Under no circumstances should he be underestimated.


Ponrauil

yeah if history's taught us one thing, appeasement and trivialising people is not a good idea.


if this breaks into a war it's going to be hideous and to be honest, I'm glad we've got a base in iraq so it might at least act as some sort of hinderance and even if it doesn't, it makes it much easier logistically if a full scale war breaks out.

not good times at all. it's kinda worrying how much stuff that's going on just now mirrors in alot of ways the road to both world wars.

You know, I read this news while at work tonight and immediately thought of Arash..considering it was concerned with music.

I really don't know what to say other than someone wrote the L.A. Times today and made this comparison. "Teachers know when they eliminate the class clown, another will rise up to take their place." Not very helpful..but whatever.

Crazy and dangerous ......

I can understand the desire not to leave one's home because of a dictatorial thug, but sometimes it's better not to find out about just HOW dictatorial they are first-hand.

It's too bad we probably won't be seeing any Washingtons, Jeffersons, and Adams step out of the Iranian community and take care of this problem with the backing of the people. Eventually it'll be either international war or an almost medival state.

Adrian