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4.15pm
Guardian
Tuesday December 20, 2005


The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has banned western music from state radio and TV stations, it was announced today.

In a move reminiscent of the 1979 Islamic revolution, when popular music was outlawed, Mr Ahmadinejad - the head of the Supreme Cultural Revolutionary Council - ordered the implementation of a ruling prohibiting all forms of western music.

It means music including classical compositions will be barred from public service broadcast outlets, local media said. "Blocking indecent and western music from the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting is required," a statement on the council's website said.

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 16 minutes ago

TEHRAN, Iran - Hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's ban on Western music fell on deaf ears Tuesday, as shop owners and music enthusiasts in the Iranian capital continued selling, buying and listening to everything from hip-hop to country rock.

The official IRAN Persian daily reported Monday that Ahmadinejad, as head of the Supreme Cultural Revolutionary Council, ordered the enactment of an October ruling by the council to ban all Western music, including classical music, on state broadcast outlets.

"This president speaks as if he is living in the Stone Age. This man has to understand that he can't tell the people what to listen to and what not to listen to," said Mohammed Reza Hosseinpour as he browsed through a Tehran music shop.

The shop's owner said he did not expect the president's ban to be implemented.

"Clerics and officials speak about imposing restrictions every other day. I don't think it's going to be enforced," said Reza Sadeghi as he counted some bills he received from the sale of an Eric Clapton tape.

Full storyAP