Agencies

Tehran, Dec 3: Women appearing in television programmes will not be allowed to wear make-up because it is against Islamic law, or sharia, media today “Make-up by women during television programmes is illegal and against Islamic sharia law ... There should not be a single case” of a woman wearing make-up during a programme, Ezatollah Zarghami was quoted as saying by the reformist Etemad newspaper.

Zarghami, a former member of the elite Revolutionary Guards who was re-appointed by supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, also ordered that women guests should “preferably” be hosted by women.

Speaking at a conference of network directors, he also call-ed for cutting down on music during programmes and urged his staff to take a cue from Western movies, which have “excellent and calm music.”

“I do not mean that we should become like them, but we should use positive points. Therefore we (should) put on the agenda the reduction and refining of music,” he said. “As of today, you in the production department should launch new supervisory methods... I do not want to tell you to filter, but you should be vigilant that nothing inappropriate happens,” Zarghami said.

Zarghami told directors they should also prohibit “repulsive jokes” between men and women on TV or radio, Fars news agency quoted him as saying.