He considers the law of youth population as “one of the most progressive and valuable decisions of the eleventh parliament” and a response to our fundamental cultural and social needs in the present era, and apparently is not willing to accept any criticism of it. He says that “all the predicted cases have been taken into account”, but when asked about the relationship between “energy consumption” and the issue of “population”, he addresses the interviewer by saying “why do you mention population?!” and then repeats the obvious fact that “population is a need for the country.”

He is Gholamreza Montazeri, a representative from Golestan province in the eleventh parliament of the Islamic Council and the second deputy chairman of the Cultural Commission of this council. He was previously the director general of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Golestan province and, according to what is mentioned on the website of the Center for Research of the Islamic Council, he holds a PhD in Islamic culture and civilization. The monthly magazine “Khat-e-Solh” had a conversation with him regarding the “Youth Population” law, which is a result of the work of the commission led by this representative. He defended this law and did not consider matters related to the birth and upbringing of citizens as part of their “privacy”. Mr. Montazeri, in his conversation with “Khat-e-Solh” and in response to a question about the issue of immigration, said that “if the European Union could do it, they would not have done it (accept

You can read the transcript of the conversation with Gholamreza Montazeri, the second deputy chairman of the Cultural Commission of the Eleventh Islamic Consultative Assembly, in the following.

The Youth Law has been announced by the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the last days of the current month of Aban. What do you think is the necessity of this law?

We have two fundamental needs in our society. One is the culture of marriage and the other is the culture of childbearing. The main foundation of our country is the young, dynamic and energetic generation, and the age pyramid of our population is also moving towards aging and old age. This is considered our fundamental need. The leadership of the system, in their conversation with the parliament, emphasized on the discussion of population, childbearing and youth in the cultural sphere of the Islamic society of Iran. Based on this, the Cultural Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly made these statements its main focus in response to this need. This law was previously a proposal. It was decided that in order for this law to face fewer obstacles and find its target society, previous proposals that were concerned with the youth generation should be reviewed and their contents should be included in this law so that when it is approved, its implementation can be a solution. Therefore, in my opinion, this is one of the very progressive and valuable

Considering the current economic problems, are the country’s infrastructures economically and culturally prepared for this law?

When a law is written, its requirements must also be anticipated. One of the good things that was considered in drafting this law was a serious and thorough examination of the obstacles that have hindered smaller laws in the past. For example, we had a law to facilitate marriage, but it was not properly implemented. We had a law for easy marriage, but it did not happen seriously. With this serious examination, a list of obstacles was obtained. Efforts were made to write the best law. When there are obstacles, the law will not be implemented. Discussions such as livelihood, housing, employment, short-term and long-term incentives were taken into account. The discussion in the commission was what we could do to ensure the implementation of these issues. One chapter of the law that was supposed to be approved was the discussion of requirements.

One of the things that we have paid less attention to is the issue of parliamentary oversight. When oversight decreases, even the best laws are not implemented properly. The parliament is like a curtain with two wings; if they move together, it can fly: one is legislation and the other is oversight. Therefore, efforts have been made to provide the necessary guarantees for implementation in the final part. Institutions must enforce the law. The parliament is not the executor. We discussed this in the Cultural Commission. When the special commission was formed, they confirmed the feasibility of this plan, which is not just a slogan. Therefore, based on the expert discussions that have taken place, this law is operational.

When a law is written, it is not looking towards the future. Rather, it is based on a series of necessities, needs, and requirements of today, in an attempt to write a logical, reasonable, and defendable law. Therefore, this law is achievable, realistic, and operational. Currently, discussions with the government are underway regarding the 1401 budget bill. The most important foundation of this law, for which so much effort has been made, is credibility in all areas. Our main effort now is for this good law to have a supportive and financial foundation so that our young generation will not be disappointed again and will not have mental concerns about it.

The 1401 budget law has been presented to the parliament by the president and is currently under review in the parliament’s reconciliation committee. Is there time for the discussions you mentioned?

All cases have been predicted. Usually, no law is implemented once and 100%. Rather, gradually, the infrastructure for its realization is provided based on the resources available to the government. However, precise planning has been done. The work of the parliament is planning. Implementation is the responsibility of the government. Every effort has been made to ensure that there are no problems or obstacles in the planning. The government’s efforts are also aimed at fully implementing this issue. This is one of our country’s priorities. We are trying to make what is predicted in the budget bill a reality. Usually, the budget that is predicted depends on the country’s conditions and may be reduced or changed. We must predict what will happen. The effort is to minimize any challenges during implementation.

Mr. Masoud Mardani, a member of the National Committee for Fighting AIDS and the National Headquarters for Combating Coronavirus, raised the issue of the non-expertise of this plan. What is your response?

These discussions have been sufficient during the debates and discussions in the parliament about the plan. When a law is written, it usually does not mean that there are no flaws in it. There is a flaw when we become lazy and negligent in listening to the opinions of the owners of ideas and thinkers. Many hours have been spent on this issue in the Cultural Commission. Its foundation was laid in the tenth parliament. The opinions of experts and specialists have been obtained through the research center of the parliament. It was not limited to this parliament alone. Efforts were made to create a platform for discussion. At least ten to twelve specialized commissions came and became members of this group working on this plan. The opinions of non-parliamentary individuals were also taken into account. We do not claim that there are no flaws. You will not find any law that has no flaws after its approval. A flaw is concerning when the necessary attention is not given. Usually, every law that is written can go through its evolutionary

One aspect and angle of this law is the medical issue. The issue of diseases in women and also children with disabilities that may be born. The discussion of AIDS and its prevalence is also raised in this context. There are criticisms of this law from this perspective. Have any predictions been made for these matters by the parliament?

The responsibility of this section is under the Health and Treatment Commission of the Parliament, which is the specialized commission in this matter. This organization has the mission to discuss with the experts in the field of health and treatment as much as possible. Its output is reflected in this law. Therefore, I believe that if friends have any criticisms in this section, it would be great if they open a dialogue with the Health and Treatment Commission for clarification and receive convincing answers. The law has been approved with the maximum number of votes.

This means that the result of the Parliament’s Health Commission is that this law will cover those issues?

Yes. If they did not confirm, it would not be possible to pass the law. I stated that all the commissions involved in this process must respond to these criticisms with a trusting and reassuring approach. Otherwise, we are responsible for future generations and cannot make emotional decisions. The vote in parliament may take a minute, but that minute will have an impact on the fate of the entire society, whether positive or negative. We are obligated to spend hours contemplating and thinking, rather than making emotional decisions.

There are different countries in the world that are facing a near-zero population growth rate. Is it possible for their solutions to be considered for Iran, such as immigration or other strategies?

“You mentioned a good point! One of the topics on our commission’s agenda was utilizing successful global experiences. This point has been taken into consideration. Regarding the discussion on immigration, each country has its own unique culture. We must rely on our internal capacities. The European Union is forced to do this [immigration] work. If we do it, we become dependent. Relying on our internal capacities is also possible and we must remove obstacles in our way.”

Do you think that in the issue of immigration, the discussion is about cultural mismatch of immigrants?

It is possible to address it from different perspectives. Undoubtedly, this immigration will create cultural and social problems for us. Do not doubt that if the European Union could, it would not do this [accepting immigrants]. But now we do not have the conditions of the European Union. We are a country with great talents and capacities that can gradually solve our problems based on the envisioned perspective.

Furthermore, the issue of immigration is not related to this plan. These are general matters. I have also expressed my personal opinion. The decision-making process regarding immigration is made at a higher level. It has no connection to this law.

Is this law of entering citizens’ privacy not enforced by the government? A privacy that is considered sacred by laws in Iran and also in the global arena.

No! What does this have to do with privacy? Privacy has its own specific laws. In the discussion of childbearing, the government has a responsibility and cannot be indifferent. If the government does not plan for its own future and the growth of its population, the country will suffer. This is not called privacy. It’s not coercion. It’s encouragement. Incentives are mentioned. These incentives exist everywhere. Each country presents a series of incentives in order to achieve its population goal.

What is the relationship between childbearing and privacy? It is possible for someone to not want to have children despite all the encouragement. It is their life and their choice. When a country needs a new generation, youth, new energy, and young resources, encouragement must take place. When the average age increases, the country faces problems. We must be able to move the economic, scientific, and political wheels of this country. Experience has shown that this is mainly done by young age groups. Of course, not to ignore the element of experience. But the knots are untied by the youth of this country.

There are various crises in Iran, from environmental to economic crises. In these circumstances, what do you think should be the priority for increasing the population?

The priorities of each country are determined based on its fundamental needs. Water is a serious priority for the country. If we observe the overall situation of the country, one of the concerns and worries is the issue of drinking water and agricultural water, both of which are essential for us. This need is fully felt in the parliament and can be clearly seen in its performance. In the plans of the provinces for the president’s trip, water is mostly at the top of the priorities. So we cannot sacrifice one for the other. Each one has its own place. Water is the source of our life and we must pay attention to it as a serious concern in the budget and allocations. Otherwise, it can become the cause of a crisis. In Isfahan, we saw what can happen over the issue of water.

The issue of optimal use of water and consumption culture is also present. I believe that simply increasing the amount of water and resources will not solve the problem. Alongside this, our consumption culture and patterns must also be reformed in the energy sector, including water, electricity, and gas. We are among the countries with very high consumption rates.

From this perspective, this increase in energy consumption is actually related to the issue of population.

Mr. Kalai, I am wondering why you say population?! Population is the need of a country. The social foundation of every country is its population. Shouldn’t we prevent the growth of births because we have a shortage of water? No! Gradually, with the help of modern technology and improving consumption patterns, the water problem can be solved. If there is no population, how do you plan to produce?

Let’s not forget that in the 1970s, population policies and a different perspective were being implemented.

See, there have been contradictions. A few days ago, the leader of the system apologized to the people as the highest authority in the country. This is very meaningful. While he is not at fault. But the meaning of it is that we have implemented contradictory policies. If that day, we could have predicted things with today’s perspective, we wouldn’t have any problems today. In some places, some policies are colonial policies that have been implemented by us and we didn’t realize it. The policy of many Western countries is for developing countries to face population problems. They take the resources of countries as cheap labor and use them. We need both population and water.

Thank you for the time you have given to the monthly magazine “Khat-e-Solh”.

Note:

1- Men, members of the AIDS Committee: The restrictions imposed in the youth program have contributed to the increase of HIV cases in the country, Entekhab News Analysis Website, 19 Aban 1400.