August 06, 2021
One of the regime’s most hardline clerics has called on incoming President Ebrahim Raisi to deny young people access to the internet, saying the Americans use it to instill “lust” among young Iranians.
Ahmad Khatami is one of 12 members of the Guardian Council as awell as one of the half-dozen leaders of Friday prayers in Tehran. He said July 24, “When our youth have access to all the cyberspace of other countries, it means that the culture of others lives in the homes of all Iranians.”
Actually, the Islamic Republic heavily censors access to the internet already by blocking tens of thousands of websites. Citizens must use VPNs and other software to get around the censors.
Khatami demanded that a Raisi government should “domesticate” the internet, claiming falsely that all countries have restricted access, citing Russia as an example.
Khatami accused the United States of trying to instill “lust” among Iranian youth.