Cartoon by Mana Neyestani

The Islamic Republic of Sex Scandals

By Solmaz Eikdar

IranWire: The corridors of power within the Islamic Republic are ablaze with a series of sex scandals – seemingly more with each passing day.

Fresh revelations spotlighting the moral and sexual transgressions of high-ranking officials within the system continue to threaten or even topple yet another leader or pillar of Iran’s ruling Islamic system.

The latest jolt came on August 19 when a new shockwave of explicit images in contravention of Sharia law emerged.

The central figure in the latest scandal was Mohammed Masoudianfar, director general of the state radio and television educational and welfare complex, who featured in images of an act of sexual intimacy with a veiled woman. The woman was later revealed to be a married employee of state radio and television – amplifying the shock. The exposé surfaced through the Radio Gilan Telegram channel.

The Iranian government quickly dismissed Masoudianfar from his position. But he was only the latest of such revelations.

The scandals began with a video spotlighting Reza Saghati, director general of Culture and Islamic Guidance, in northern Gilan province. Saghati was seen in the video engaging in a sexual encounter with a young man. The Gil Khabar news site later reported that Saghati had been fired.