In a further step toward returning to the radicalism of their 1979 revolution, the leaders of Iran have made a very dumb move.
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.
The move will silence the hip-hop that can frequently be heard blaring from car radios in Tehran’s streets.
It means music including Rush, by Eric Clapton, and Hotel California, by the Eagles, both of which regularly accompany Iranian broadcasts, will be outlawed.
Sending popular music underground will only further chafe large portions of the Iranian population already restless. As they race towards becoming a nuclear power, the radical Iranian rulers apparently weren’t satisfied with just stirring the international pot. Now, they’ve decided to kick some stones at home.
Make no mistake, the Islamist movement is not just about the destruction of Israel, but also the demise of Western culture and civilization. Unfortunately, the Iranian tyrants may find the many of their own populace want, at least to some degree, Western culture.