He considers leisure time as a citizen’s right, but says, “There is no concern among our managers about leisure time and providing suggestions and services for leisure time.” He is Homayoun Razdar, the vice president of the board of directors of the Leisure Time Association of Iran and an activist in this field.
In the hot summer of the coronavirus and in a time when staying at home is being talked about everywhere, we can ask the question, well! People should stay at home, but what should they do? How can they fill their leisure time? And this question leads us to a more fundamental issue. How serious is the issue of leisure time in Iran today and how much has the government addressed it in various aspects? This question prompted us to have a conversation with one of the familiar activists in this field, Mr. Homayoun Razdar. He says, “Nineteen to twenty-six organizations receive budget for leisure time missions,” but “as citizens of society, we

How would you describe the need for leisure and having free time as a right for citizens?

This right is not different in Iran from other countries of the world and is recognized like other countries of the world. However, the way of providing services and facilities in the field of recreation and entertainment may differ from other societies. But this right, which we refer to as a citizenship right, is also recognized in our country.

Having leisure time is also a necessity. Who is responsible for fulfilling this need and, by nature, who has the right? What role can government play in this regard?

In all parts of the world, the issue of leisure time is addressed in the form of a series of recommendations or recreational and entertainment suggestions. Various government institutions are involved in this issue. In our country, we have the problem that there is no specific authority responsible for leisure time. There are also differences and discrepancies in the statistics provided by various sources. What is clear is that between nineteen and twenty-six agencies receive a budget for leisure time activities. This means that there is a focus on leisure time activities among their missions. However, regardless of the number or identity of government actors in this field, the problem is that our managers do not have a proper understanding of the issue of leisure time. This is not a sociological or philosophical statement. I am talking about understanding the importance of the issue. It seems to me that the managers who make decisions in this area or have a mission and receive a budget for it, do not have a deep and accurate understanding of the importance of this issue.

We

Here, two aspects are being discussed. One is the legislative aspect and the other is the executive aspect. Is this right recognized as a citizen’s right in our laws and does it have its own place?

I don’t think that we have a clear and precise law regarding leisure time. But the reality is that sometimes we don’t have an obligatory law. However, we also don’t have a law that denies this right. So if the law is silent in a certain place, it is entrusted to the understanding of the managers who are in charge or should be in charge.

Does this mean that the subject has not been taken seriously in the laws?

Yes, it is not taken seriously in the laws. But I would like to say that even with laws that have remained silent on the matter, meaning laws that have not denied or affirmed these issues, we can still work. The problem is that our managers do not have any concern about leisure time in their minds. The last concern of our managers is leisure time! For example, the issue of leisure time could have been addressed by one of the cultural and legal institutions of the country. But the members of that group would say that the country has more important matters to attend to! Meaning, we do not consider this issue a priority. The financial turnover of computer games is about one hundred billion dollars in the world, which is almost twice our predicted oil revenue this year, but for many of our policymakers, it is seen as a non-serious matter. When we talk about games, it is supposed to play a role in culture or society as a whole. But in the eyes of these policymakers

You spoke about the existing attitude towards governance and the lack of concern among managers in the field of leisure time. You also mentioned that nineteen to twenty-six organizations receive a budget for the issue of leisure time. How have these responsible institutions performed in this area?

I said that these 19 to 26 budget categories have been allocated for this purpose. As citizens of society, we are not informed about the allocation of these budgets. However, even if a percentage is allocated from these categories, the performance is the same as we all see. You, like me, have the ability to analyze the performance and see if it is a concern for the cultural managers of the country. Have our managers ever shown concern for the concepts we have discussed? Have they ever been worried about this issue? Have they ever been anxious about talking about a serious cultural concept? I think both the people and you as the media can observe the situation and see how the performance is based on different indicators. You can also share your own feelings with your readers. Whether the current image of the situation is a concerned one is up to the media and the people to judge.

According to your estimate, what is the situation of special groups in this area? Are workers, employees, women, children, disabled individuals, etc. able to have enough leisure time?

At the very least, we can see that more importance is given to the social group of children, or at least more is said about it. In my opinion, the situation is very bad for adolescents and young people. This means that any event that happens in this area and in the leisure time of young people and adolescents is done by private sector activists. It’s better not to talk about other groups! It’s like we’re talking about something trivial when we talk about the leisure time of adults, the elderly, the disabled, etc. It’s as if we have been so negligent about this issue that sometimes when we talk about it, some people may remember that we should also do things for the leisure time of the elderly and the disabled! Or we should also consider them as part of the audience.

Imena News Agency published a report in July of this year entitled “Leisure Time and the Heavy Shadow of Class Contradiction.” What role do you think this class position plays in determining access to this right?

It is possible that someone who has a better financial situation may have more access and use of leisure time. But the reality is that access is not available to everyone. In my opinion, the more important issue than this access is the belief in the importance of this matter among citizens and people. People, regardless of rulers and managers. If people understand the importance of this issue, regardless of their social class, they may invest more energy and concern into it. Therefore, in many service and recreational centers, we see, for example, a line for a game in an amusement park, or people gathered in a cafe, or groups like this in various leisure centers, are not necessarily from a wealthier average level. In my opinion, their average is made up of more believers and more concerned individuals. Their average is made up of those who have reached this importance and have decided to pursue and achieve their own peace and happiness, regardless of their financial situation and possessions. These are the people who have understood

Does this mean that in the confrontation between the two factors of economic prosperity and cultural understanding, you give a higher score to the cultural factor?

Yes, I will definitely give a higher score to the cultural level.

In this situation that was discussed and mentioned, as a pathology, what consequences can this lack of recreation and suitable leisure time have for society?

In my opinion, the harm of an indifferent society is greater than the harm of a depressed society. Depression, in my view, is a precursor to indifference. This means that not all depressed individuals are necessarily indifferent. In fact, depression is not necessarily the worst danger to a society. The worst danger for a society is the indifference and apathy of people towards certain issues. Including the very issue we are talking about. Therefore, when people unconsciously become indifferent and apathetic towards spending their time during leisure, addressing all their concerns, finding solutions to their problems, and answering their mental questions, this in itself becomes the greatest harm that can engulf a society.

Thank you for the time you have given to the peace line.