Iran’s minister of education has called on the police to trace the “source” of what he described as “disturbing videos” of schoolchildren cheerfully dancing to a pop song by US-based Iranian singer Sasy Mankan.
The videos are part of an online “dance challenge” that features children in different schools around the country grooving to Mankan’s newly released “Gentlemen” song.
The ministry was encouraged to take action by conservative officials including a member of Parliament who demanded officials at the schools where the dancing took place be fired, and a member of the Assembly of Experts who urged the courts and Parliament to take action to prevent more videos.
The authorities are currently pursuing several students and some teachers seen dancing in the videos but it’s not clear what they will be charged with.
“The enemy is trying different ways to create anxiety among the people including by spreading these disturbing videos we have been seeing in cyberspace,” said Education Minister Mohammad Bathaei on May 7, 2019.
“I’m certain there’s some kind of political plot behind the publication of these devious clips in schools,” he added.
Bathaei added that a team of three “experts” had been appointed to find the source of the clips.
Dancing is not illegal according to Iran’s Islamic Penal Code but a person could be prosecuted for any form of dancing if the authorities deem it as “indecent” or “immoral.”
Source » iranhumanrights