Cannes kiss sparks outrage in Iran
Actress and Cannes jury member Leila Hatami causes controversy with kiss for Festival President Gilles Jacob
ACTRESS Leila Hatami has sparked outrage in her home country of Iran by kissing the Cannes Film Festival's president on the cheek.
Ms Hatami, who is on the jury at the Festival, shook Gilles Jacob’s hand and kissed him on the cheek at the opening of this year's festival in front of cameras.
According to Islamic law, which has been in place in Iran since the 1979 revolution, a woman is not allowed to have physical contact with a man outside her family.
The incident is being seen in Iran as an affront to the "chastity" of the Islamic republic's women.
Some Iranian news outlets published the image, but with the kiss blurred out.
Iran’s deputy culture minister Hossein Noushabadi said: “Those who attend intentional events should take heed of the credibility and chastity of Iranians, so that a bad image of Iranian women will not be demonstrated to the world.
“Whether artist or not, the Iranian woman is a symbol of chastity and innocence, so such an inappropriate attitude … is not consistent with our religious principles.”
He added "If they respect Islamic norms and the national culture and beliefs of Iran, it would be a desirable thing for Iranian celebrities to go abroad, but if their presence lacks regard for social values and ethical criteria, the Iranian nation is not going to accept it."
Ms Hatami, who was born in Tehran and still lives in Iran, came to worldwide attention in the Oscar-winning film “A Separation”.
Canal+ / screengrab
