Authorities say Iranian elite target of "Soft War"

Iranian Minister of Culture, Mohammad Hosseini

Iran’s Minister of Culture, Mohammad Hosseini told a Congress on the so-called “Soft War” that “the elite of the society including professors and artists are targets of the soft war.”

ILNA reports that the culture minister added: “The perpetrators of this war are of the opinion that if they can enlist the collaboration of the thinkers and artists, enlisting the masses would become very easy."

He went on to say that the main environment for the “soft war” is the internet and cyberspace and said: “In this space the enemies are trying to persuade people to accept their views and once these views are accepted by the people, the enemy can proceed with its true aims.”

He maintained that a number of films in various festivals have “aimed at tarnishing Iran’s reputation” and said: “To portray the Iranian society as a backward society is one of the aims of the enemy. So if there is a film that portrays Iran as a backward society, they shower it with awards and compliments because the film can be very effective.”

“Modes of acquiring the news, distorting people’s identities, reducing social assets, disseminating doubt, creating anxiety and resorting to mockery are amongst the tactics of the enemy in the soft war,” the culture minister stressed.

The terms “sedition” and the “soft war” have become prevalent in the language of the Iranian establishment since the controversial 2009 presidential elections which was followed by widespread protests with allegations of vote fraud.

Iranian authorities introduced the peaceful protests as the expressions of a soft war aimed at toppling the Islamic Republic from within its own ranks.

The National Congress on the Soft War is another state initiative at emphasizing these concepts in the current political environment of the country.