Iran shuts down magazines for featuring ‘corrupt’ film stars

IRAN’S Culture Ministry yesterday announced the closure of nine cinema and lifestyle magazines for publishing pictures and stories about “corrupt” foreign film stars and promoting “superstitions”.

The Press Supervisory Board also sent warning notes to 13 other publications and magazines on “observing the provisions of the press law”, the ministry said on its website.

It was not clear why the nine magazines were targeted. They focus on light lifestyle features, family advice and news of celebrities. They regularly publish photos of Iranian actresses in loose headscarves, as well as foreign female film stars without head coverings — but nothing more revealing than what is tolerated on some state media.

A recent issue of one of the closed magazines, Sobh-e-Zendegi, or Morning of Life, had photos of Cameron Diaz, Naomi Watts, Mandy Moore and Angelina Jolie — all wearing long sleeves and baggy clothing — and briefs on some of their current activities.

The ministry said it shut the magazines down for “using photos of artists, especially foreign corrupt film stars, as instruments [to arouse desire], publishing details about their decadent private lives, propagating medicines without authorisation, promoting superstitions”.

Mohsen Ahmadi, editor of Sobh-e-Zendegi, said “It is deplorable a family lifestyle magazine is ordered closed. It means 70 people have lost their job.”

The other magazines closed down were Donya-e-Tasvir, Baznegari, Talash, Be Sooy-e-Eftekhar, Neday-e-Iran, Haft, Shooka and Havar, according to the website.

Iran saw a wave of newspaper closures during the 1997-2005 tenure of former reformist president Mohammad Khatami.

The judiciary has shut down more than 100 pro-reform newspapers and jailed dozens of editors and writers on vague charges of insulting authorities since 2000.