Ahmad Masjed-Jamei
Encyclopedia
Ahmad Masjed-Jamei is an Iran
ian reformist politician, who served as Culture Minister under President Mohammad Khatami
from 2000 to 2005, and was elected a Tehran City Councillor in 2006.
, was forced to resign following criticism by conservatives for "eroding moral standards". Jamei previously served as deputy Culture Minister.
As Culture Minister he promoted freedom of the press
, saying it helps to prevent the accumulation of "negative anxieties" in society. However his efforts were undermined by the judiciary which was controlled by the Supreme Leader
, Ali Khamenei
, which ordered the closure of over 100 newspapers during Jamei's tenure as Culture Minister Jamei protested against the closure of newspapers and arrest of journalists without affect.
, an organisation founded by Khatami.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian reformist politician, who served as Culture Minister under President Mohammad Khatami
Mohammad Khatami
Sayyid Mohammad Khātamī is an Iranian scholar, philosopher, Shiite theologian and Reformist politician. He served as the fifth President of Iran from August 2, 1997 to August 3, 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture in both the 1980s and 1990s...
from 2000 to 2005, and was elected a Tehran City Councillor in 2006.
Culture Minister
Jamei became Culture Minster when Khatami's first minister, Ata'ollah MohajeraniAta'ollah Mohajerani
Ata'ollah Mohajerani , , is an Iranian historian, politician, journalist, and author. Ata`ollah Mohajerani served as Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Iran under reformist President Mohammad Khatami until 2000 when he was resigned from office for alleged permissiveness."-Overview:Dr...
, was forced to resign following criticism by conservatives for "eroding moral standards". Jamei previously served as deputy Culture Minister.
As Culture Minister he promoted freedom of the press
Freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
, saying it helps to prevent the accumulation of "negative anxieties" in society. However his efforts were undermined by the judiciary which was controlled by the Supreme Leader
Supreme leader
A supreme leader typically refers to a figure in the highest leadership position of an entity, group, organization, or state, who exercises strong or all-powerful authority over it. In religion, the supreme leader or supreme leaders is God or Gods...
, Ali Khamenei
Ali Khamenei
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i is the Supreme Leader of Iran and the figurative head of the Muslim conservative establishment in Iran and Twelver Shi'a marja...
, which ordered the closure of over 100 newspapers during Jamei's tenure as Culture Minister Jamei protested against the closure of newspapers and arrest of journalists without affect.
Dialogue among Civilisations
After the victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the Iranian presidential election of 2005, Jamei was appointed the managing director of the International Center for Dialogue Among CivilizationsDialogue Among Civilizations
Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami introduced the idea of Dialogue Among Civilizations as a response to Samuel P. Huntington’s theory of a Clash of Civilizations.-Introduction:...
, an organisation founded by Khatami.