Monday, December 19, 2005
The day the music died
Other Irish bloggers have in recent days highlighted the disturbing behaviour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, however today he has seen fit to ban Western music from the country’s radio and TV stations.The official IRAN Persian daily reported today that Ahmadinejad, as head of Iran’s Supreme Cultural Revolutionary Council, ordered the enacting of an October ruling by the council for Western songs to be banned.
"Blocking indecent and Western music from the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) is required," according to a statement on the council’s official website.
Songs such as George Michael’s Careless Whisper, Eric Clapton’s Rush and Hotel California by the Eagles regularly accompany Iranian TV and programmes, as do tunes by saxophonist Kenny G.
Following eight years of reformist-led rule in Iran, Ahmadinejad won office in August on a platform of reverting to ultraconservative principals promoted by Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. He 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.
Ahmadinehad has previously called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" and described the Nazi Holocaust as a "myth".
He has promised to confront what he called the Western cultural invasion and promote Islamic values during his presidential campaign.
I'm very concerned about Iran with this guy in power. Banning music? In this day and age?
The world needs to keep an eye on President Ahmadinejad. Censorship like this is a step on the road to ruin...
"We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people." - John F. Kennedy
# posted by United Irelander @ 7:39 PM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
