Music events canceled in southwest Iran after cleric blames concerts for drought
After a cleric attributed the lack of rain to concerts, the Islamic Republic's local religious-ideological department canceled all music events in southwest Iran.
The Friday Prayer Imam of Abadan, a city known for housing the Middle East's oldest oil refinery, recently criticized the granting of concert permits, calling them sinful and claiming that music events anger God, leading to a lack of rain.
Following Abdolhossein Ghobishavi's statement, the provincial ideological department canceled several concert permits for February, according to local media reports.
This move contradicts an order from President Masoud Pezeshkian's administration, which has instructed all official bodies and ministries not to block music events.
Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, most forms of music have been banned from state television and radio.
Artists and performers face lengthy processes to obtain permits for releasing songs or holding concerts, and female singers are typically prohibited from performing.
