Iran Establishes Council To Promote Internet Service On Cultural Values

Tehran, March 8, IRNA – Iran on Wednesday established an administrative council to organize optimum access to the Internet in line with national interest. The national council is led by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and composed of computer networks experts. Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei assigned the president to take helm of 'High Council for Administration of Virtual Space' a term which refers to international computer networks. Every nation has its own preferences in terms of culture and privacy of individuals which must be respected and the Internet must not be given the authority to challenge national and ethical principles. Governments are responsible for safeguarding national and cultural values and the initiative put forward by the Supreme Leader authorizes the government to ensure safety of the Internet and take measures to deal with challenges facing the national security and cultural values. The Majlis Speaker, the Judiciary chief, the director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, minister of communications and information technology, minister of culture and the Islamic guidance, minister of science, research and technology, minister of intelligence, the chairman of parliamentary commission on cultural affairs, the head of the Islamic Propagation Organization, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Police will be members of the council. Experts on information technology Hamid Shahriari, Javad Mazloomi, Masoud Abutalebi, Kamiar Saqafi, Rasoul Jalili, Mohammad Sarafraz, Alireza Shahmirzaei have been appointed to the administrative board for a three-year term. The Supreme Leader authorized the president to make necessary investment in upgrading information technology and access to the Internet in the context of policy to be drawn up by the administrative council./end