Posted on 07/25/2023 5:28:35 AM PDT by Red Badger
An official of Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance was sacked after the release of a video purportedly showing him having same-sex intercourse.
The scandal emerged last week when the Radio Gilan Telegram channel shared a video allegedly showing Reza Saghati engaging in a sexual act with a young man.
Saghati is the director-general of Culture and Islamic Guidance in northern Gilan province. The video was purportedly recorded within the premises of the General Directorate of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
On July 19, the Gil Khabar news site reported that Saghati was dismissed from his position "due to the scandals," without providing further details.
A few days later, the General Directorate of Culture and Islamic Guidance issued a statement stating: "Immediately after the former manager of this department was suspected, the Honorable Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance ordered a thorough investigation with the involvement of security and judicial authorities.”
"In order to facilitate further research and ensure uninterrupted cultural and artistic activities, a new supervisor has been appointed for the General Directorate."
While officials had previously been dismissed for having extramarital affairs, Saghati’s dismissal raised eyebrows among many social media users who criticized the hypocrisy of government officials.
The scandal also fueled speculation that he could be the victim of a power struggle in Gilan province. Accusations of same-sex relations were used in the past to eliminate political opponents.
Peyman Behbodi, the manager of Gilan Radio's Telegram channel, said that agents of Gilan's Intelligence Department have arrested the sister and nieces of the incriminated official.
Gilan Radio had repeatedly criticized Saghati, describing him as an opponent to provincial Governor Asadollah Abbasi.
In Iran, the punishment for homosexuality is death for men and up to 100 lashes for women. After repeat offenses, women can become subject to the death penalty.
Who is Reza Saghati?
In November 2021, Saghati was elected as director-general of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Gilan province.
Prior to this role, he held several positions within the General Administration of the department, including responsibility for the Khatam-ul-Anbiya artistic complex in Rasht.
He established the religious center of Hosseinieh Honar Rasht in 2012 and became a member of the board of another religious center, Gilan Cultural Front, in 2014.
Ensaf News has identified Vahid Jalili as the primary supporter of Hosseinieh Honar.
Jalili, an art critic journalist, is a prominent figure among the new generation of fundamentalists and has close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He described Hosseinieh Honar as a place for revolutionary artists.
Additionally, Saghati has been involved with the founding of a "Chastity and Hijab Workshop" and the launch of a hijab hypermarket.
Last month, he announced the establishment of a neighborhood-based cultural center focused on chastity and hijab.
Emphasizing the importance of addressing "concerns about hijab and chastity in society," the official stated that the "promotion and support of a chaste environment should be led and managed by the people."
Notice the subtle way that the article blends someone being fired for doing X (making gay porn) when his job is probably related to stopping people from doing X, with being executed.
He might well get executed, I suppose... but the point is to conflate the notions in all of our minds so when we hear that a teacher was fired for producing kiddie porn with their kids, we think of some guy in Iran being executed for intolerance.
In America he could be Transportation Secretary, or Assistant Secretary of Health or even the White House Press Secretary.
did we really have to know this.
He will be executed, Iran executes homosexuals...............
What a hypocrite.
“Additionally, Saghati has been involved with the founding of a “Chastity and Hijab Workshop” and the launch of a hijab hypermarket.
Last month, he announced the establishment of a neighborhood-based cultural center focused on chastity and hijab.
Emphasizing the importance of addressing “concerns about hijab and chastity in society,” the official stated that the “promotion and support of a chaste environment should be led and managed by the people.”
I hope they give him 100 lashes and then throw him off a 50 story building - this man pushes the enslavement of women through hijab and ‘purity’.
Animal.
It is basically for show that while Iranians execute homosexual men and women are thrashed 100 times, we here in the United States subject them to the most horrible and terrifying degradation and humiliation of mis-gendering their pronouns.................
Yeah... I think you missed the entire point of what I wrote. The intended outrage is that of course we suspect he WILL get executed. Yet this outrage comes to us via a headline which merely says he will get sacked.
Surely will become new darling of Biden Admin and US Democrat Party.
The writer alludes to it in the middle of the article by saying “In Iran, the punishment for homosexuality is death for men and up to 100 lashes for women. “
So the reader gets the message that he will be arrested and executed................
A.k.a. politician/bureaucrat.
No buildings over 3 stories tall?
Not saying he didnt’ do it but knowing what we know about deep fakes and knowing the capability in the hands of oridinary citizens we have no idea what governments are doing with this stuff or their capabilities.
True- the fella likely did do it, but ya never know these days as it’s getting so that you can’t tell reality from fake these days, as fake videos are getting harder and harder to detect. Governments wanting to excuse their punishment of their rivals can and .ikely are using faked videos to condemn their rivals with, and all of a sudden the rival is on trial for their life and hav8ng to prove their innocence-
Look at the fake dossier that caused years of investigations and tons of money, only to find out it was comp,etely faked to punish a lo.itical rival.
Isn’t the Islamic woman considered unclean compared to the male?
In America he could be Transportation Secretary, or Assistant Secretary of Health or even the White House Press Secretary.
Job offer on the way. He’d fit right in with them.
This is true, and it's frightening thought. Nobody is going to believe anything they see or hear, that doesn't fit their preconceived notions.
Or even President.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.