Document #1072386
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
The Ministry of Islamic Guidance was
established in 1979 and is in charge of the cultural, artistic,
literary, intellectual and scientific life of Iranians. [ Kevin
Boyle, ed., World Report 1988: Article 19, Information, Freedom
and Censorship, Times Books, 1988, p. 254.] Censorship of the
media was "imposed to prevent `counter-revolutionary and
non-Islamic influences.'" [ Boyle, p. 252.] Dilip Hiro, the author
of Iran Under the Ayatollahs, observes that the film
industry declined after the Islamic revolution, and that all seven
films produced in 1981 (only ten percent of the former production
level of approximately 70 films per year) had to be approved by the
Ministry of Islamic Guidance. [ Dilip Hiro, Iran Under the
Ayatollahs, (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1987), p.
257.] He also mentions that the ministry set up its own film
production department, but does not provide the name of the
department. [ Hiro, p. 257.] Films produced by this department had
Islamic themes. The restrictions placed on the press, media and
film industry reflect the central role of Islam in Iranian society,
and writers who do not comply have been summarily executed. For
example, in 1980, a poet/theatre director was arrested and shot
soon afterwards. [ Boyle, p. 255.] Another poet was "executed after
having been found guilty of `advocating sexual freedom'". [ Boyle,
p. 255.] Following the Salman Rushdie affair in 1989, Index on
Censorship carried a story on censorship of the Iranian press.
Over forty writers, playwrights and journalists are known to have
been executed since 1979, though the actual number is believed to
be much higher. [ Amir Taheri, "Iran: Pandora's Box Forced Open",
Index on Censorship, September 1989, p. 8; Article 19
also discusses the execution of writers.]
Although no information on the Bonyad
Farabi was found, the attached information indicates that the film
industry in Iran is tightly controlled with limited opportunities
due to its reduced size since the revolution. It was not possible
to confirm whether the Ministry of Ershad is the Ministry of
Islamic Guidance.
2.
Non-Islamic behaviour would include any
actions deemed to be offensive to Islam or not in conformity with
the interpretation of the Koran (holy book of Allah). The Penal
Code (Ta'azirat) of the Islamic Republic of Iran is based on
Islamic Shari'a law, and punishments are meted out according to
Shari'a. The Law of Hodoud and Qesas prescribes a number penalties
for various sexual offenses. Please consult the attachment from
Amnesty International for a description of some of the provisions
of the Law of Hodoud and Qesas, and pages 258-259 of Iran Under
the Ayatollahs. The Constitution gave the Islamic leadership
the central role in all aspects of Iranian life. [ Boyle, pp.
251-252.]
Please refer to the attachments for more information:
-
Dilip Hiro, Iran Under the
Ayatollahs, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1987;
-
Kevin Boyle, ed., World Report 1988:
Article 19, Information, Freedom and Censorship, New York:
Times Books, 1988;
-
Amnesty International, Iran: Violations
of Human Rights, New York: Amnesty International Publications,
1987;
-
Amir Taheri, "Iran: Pandora's Box Forced
Open", Index on Censorship, September 1989.