Iran "is no Stalin-era Soviet Union," read a statement issued by Iran's National Union of Theater Directors, addressing Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili, the proposed minister of culture in the new administration of hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi.

The statement was part of growing outrage against an 80-page document released by the proposed minister outlining his vision for the future of Iranian art and culture.

Esmaili, 46, particularly lashed out at the current status of Iran's cinema, dramatic arts and music. He lamented the counterrevolutionary" atmosphere, a term Iranian hard-liners commonly apply to political rivals accused of promoting liberal ideologies. Iran's dramatic arts are plagued by "deviation and secularism," Esmaili said.

Prior to earning a degree in political science, Esmaili completed clerical studies at Iranian seminaries. He worked as Raisi's cultural adviser when Raisi was the custodian of the powerful and wealthy Astan Quds Foundation in the holy city of Mashhad (2016-2019). Esmaili has also headed a supervisory body of Iran's conservative state broadcaster controlled by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.