TEHRAN – Hojjatoleslam Mehdi Imanipur, a cleric who has worked in several Islamic centers around the world, has been selected as the new director of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO).

As an organization working under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, the ICRO’s mission is to seek the expansion of Iran’s cultural relations with other countries through sending cultural attachés across the world.

The director of the organization is selected by the culture minister.

Imanipur’s appointment was announced in a press release on Wednesday, in which Culture Minister Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaeili asked Imanipur to employ “development-oriented young and revolutionary forces” to carry out ICRO’s mission in and outside Iran.       

Imanipur replaced Abuzar Ebrahim Torkaman who has held the position over the past eight years.  

Esmaeili also emphasized the need to show special regard for Iranian expatriates and to encourage them to participate in Iran’s cultural events being organized in other countries.

He also called for increased support for the programs promoting the Persian language in other countries, especially in regional countries.  

Imanipur served as the ICRO deputy director in international affairs in the 2000s. He has worked as Iran’s former cultural attaché in Russia, Germany and several other countries.

He was a co-founder of the Ibn Sina Islamic Culture Research Foundation in Moscow. He has also worked at several Islamic centers in Canada, Hamburg and Brasilia.

The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has made many new appointments to the management board since mid-August when Esmaeili has taken the helm at the ministry.

In the wave of the new appointments, journalist Farshad Mahdipur has been selected as the deputy culture minister for press affairs and Mohammad Khazaei, the producer of acclaimed movies such as “Emperor of Hell” and “Damascus Time”, has been appointed the new director of the Cinema Organization of Iran. 

Photo: New director of Iran’s Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, Mehdi Imanipur, in an undated photo. 
      
MMS/YAW