Music Policymaking in Islamic Republic of Iran

Music, as a social phenomenon, can be examined and analyzed with different approaches. This paper intends to review music and its policymaking in the Islamic Republic of Iran with an institutional and organizational approach; a subject that is very sensitive and important with respect to the exalted and long record of Iranian music and existence of religious and jurisprudence debates. The status of music has undergone changes in a progressive form during the recent years and it has brought about a series of problems and challenges with itself. On the one hand, policy makers in this field are faced with criticism of musicians and artists concerning the confusion caused by ambiguity in the religious principles of music, the criteria for granting permission and nonchalance shown towards classical and traditional music. On the other, they have failed to meet the expectations of the religious community in the country. By recognizing the policymaking institutions in the field of music in the Islamic Republic of Iran, this paper intends to identify the main and important challenges of policymaking in this field and by using policy process model, suggest mechanisms to resolve the problems of the country’s music.