| A Decisive Assignment
‘Pursuing
the President’s policies’, ‘conformity with the Parliament’ and
‘paying attention to the concerns in the cultural domain’ will be the priorities
of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance
Born in 1956 in
Tehran, Ahmad Masjed-Jamei has become one of the outstanding figures in the cultural scene
of Iran. His deep involvement with the post-Revolution cultural trends and policies of the
country is clearly indicated by the fact that for four consecutive terms, he served as the
cultural and research deputy to different ministers of culture and Islamic guidance.
Masjed-Jamei’s endeavors have led to a number of outstanding developments some of
which can be listed as: Lifting the number of published books from 1000 to 20,000 titles
per year, ratification of tax exemption for publishers at the Parliament and staging the
International Exhibition on the Holy Quran in and out of the country. Also a cultural
advisor to the President, Masjed-Jamei has been praised for his performance as the head
coordinator of Tehran International Book Fair.
 |
Ahmad
Masjed-Jamei was one of the few steadfast supporters of President Khatami’s cultural
policies when the President served as the Minister of Culture & Islamic Guidance |
Serving as the deputy
minister of culture and Islamic guidance, his name was frequently mentioned as the
successor of Dr. Ataollah Mohajerani whose resignation as the Minister of Culture and
Islamic Guidance took a few months to be endorsed by President Khatami. In the face of
growing anticipation over Mohajerani’s resignation, Masjed-Jamei once declared he was
not willing to replace Mohajerani. However, once the minister’s resignation was
final, he was appointed by President Khatami as the “manager” of the Ministry of
Culture and Islamic Guidance. On accepting the responsibility, Masjed-Jamei explained,
“President Khatami’s decision and Dr. Mohajerani’s emphasis on the special
circumstances in the cultural field are the main reasons for me to accept the management
post of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.”
Maintaining an impartial position toward different political tastes and factions,
Masjed-Jamei is respected in most political and cultural circles. Due attention to the
country’s cultural necessities especially in terms of books and reading culture, and
his role as the head coordinator of the significant Tehran International Book Fair are
some highlights of his performance at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
Speaking of his new assignment, Masjed-Jamei noted, “I will endeavor to discharge my
duties with the cooperation of deputies and directors of the ministry; while priority will
be given to ‘pursuing the President’s policies’, ‘conformity with the
Parliament’ and ‘paying attention to the concerns in the cultural
domain’.”
Addressing the farewell ceremony of the outgoing Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance,
Masjed-Jamei stressed, “We need to benefit from the experiences and viewpoints of Dr.
Mohajerani in our field of activity. Regarding the interaction between the Majlis and the
Culture Ministry, a five-year plan has been drawn up based on experiences in various
fields.”
In recognition of Ataollah
Mohajerani’s efforts as the Culture Minister, Masjed-Jamei said, “Dr.
Mohajerani’s term saw the expansion of the Ministry’s activities and the
increase in the cultural capacities of the country. His overall strategies have brought
about positive results. During the tenure of Mr. Mohajerani, the performance of the
Culture Ministry grew ahead of programs.”
Speaking at the ceremony, Mohajerani referred to Ahmad Masjed-Jamei as an experienced
manager who would pursue Khatami’s policies in the cultural domain. “He has been
shouldering the main workload of the Ministry and I recommended him to President Mohammad
Khatami for the post of the Culture Ministry’s head given the fact that I am sure no
problem will occur for the Ministry under his management.”
When President Mohammad Khatami served, and later resigned, as the Minister of Culture,
Masjed-Jamei remained as one of his few steadfast supporters. Having experienced several
challenges of the country’s cultural arena, Masjed-Jamei now heads the Ministry of
Culture and Islamic Guidance. |
