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| Hojjat Hashemian |
Former employee of Ardabil provincial television, South Azerbaijani actor, and cultural activist Hojjat Hashemian shared his experience-based views on Iran’s artistic policies in an interview with Voice of America. In addition to discussing his artistic activities and the films and TV series in which he played a role on Ardabil television, the South Azerbaijani activist commented on the ideological agenda pursued by the Islamic Republic of Iran in television and radio programs in Azerbaijan provinces.
"Between 1996 and 2000, I acted in TV series broadcast on Ardabil Province TV. I became well-known for playing the character Böyük Ağa Polad. The films I acted in were in the Turkish language and mostly comedies," said the Ardabil-born artist, who currently lives in exile in Canada.
According to him, the topics of the series broadcast on Ardabil television were generally related to social issues.
"Most of these series were in the form of comedies and addressed social problems that did not touch on the government—issues we were allowed to speak about. A boundary had been drawn within which both religious matters had to be considered, and all problems in the country had to be blamed on America and Israel while portraying the regime positively," Hashemian noted.
He also spoke about the censorship and control exercised over films and programs by the Ministry of Islamic Culture and Guidance, as well as by the television's supervisory officials.
According to Hashemian, Azerbaijan provinces in Iran face systematic discrimination in the field of art:
"The budget allocated to film and other artistic sectors in Iran’s central provinces is significantly greater than that allocated to Azerbaijan provinces... In the television and radio centers of Azerbaijani provinces, programs produced in Tehran that promote the Persian language and culture are given more space and importance than Turkish-language programs."
Hashemian considers language restrictions part of a broader policy targeting Azerbaijani Turks' culture.
"Just as the Azerbaijani Turkish nation's language is under pressure, its art is also subjected to hardships. In music, film, and other artistic fields, a policy of assimilation and Persianization is being pursued," the actor added.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Hüccət Haşimian: İran incəsənət sahəsində farslaşdırma və əritmə siyasəti yürüdür