The Deputy Minister of Art at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance said we only support artists who support the Islamic Republic.
Mahmoud Salari, the Deputy Minister of Art at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, stated that I am the Deputy Minister of Art for the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The notion that artists claim I represent them is not true.
He added that some artists are interested in forming alliances. I am not the representative of the artists; I am the representative of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and must implement its directives. If an artist wants to promote immorality or liberal ethics, there is no reason for the government to support them. Anyone who wants to insult the Islamic Republic should get their funding from those who encourage them to insult; there is no necessity for the government to support them.