The Islamic Propagation Organization (IPO) is a non-governmental institution established in July 1981 (Tir 1360) by order of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Founder and Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It currently operates under the supervision of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
Formed after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the Organization was created to unify certain cultural and religious activities across the country. Immediately after its establishment—and with the outbreak of the imposed war waged by the Ba’athist regime of Iraq against the young Islamic Republic—it served as a special headquarters for propagation and cultural initiatives in war zones, supporting the combatants. Many of the cultural programs and activities held during the Iran–Iraq War were the result of this Organization’s work.
Following the war, the IDO endeavored to play an active and effective role nationwide in various cultural, social, and media fields. Its activities expanded to include areas such as the arts, media, cinema and television, visual arts, publishing and printing, and cyberspace, alongside its traditional mission of supporting mosques and religious associations. Over the years, the Organization has produced numerous works and events that are now regarded as significant and history-making in the cultural and artistic record of contemporary Iran.
In recent years, following the Supreme Leader’s declaration of the Islamic Republic’s entry into the “Second Phase of the Revolution,” the Organization has sought to renew and transform its cultural and propagation mission. This vision has been advanced by Hojjat al-Islam Mohammad Qomi, the current President of the Organization, who in 2018 (1397) became the youngest individual appointed to such a position by the Supreme Leader. During his tenure, he has sought to reduce direct governmental control over cultural affairs and instead create conditions for the greater visibility of public initiatives in the fields of religion, culture, and the arts.
Drawing upon the Iranian people’s deep-rooted faith in Islam and Shi‘ism, their special devotion to the epic of Ashura, and their steadfast belief in the Promised Savior, Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him), the Organization has worked to foster conditions for the flourishing of the nation’s vast and remarkable potential. The leadership of the IDO believes that the people are the true owners of the Islamic Revolution, and that the Revolution—by relying on the people and their religious convictions—can lead Iran to become a stronger nation in the global cultural and diplomatic arenas.
At present, numerous artistic and media institutions, publishing houses, hundreds of mosques and religious associations, and thousands of small grassroots cultural groups across Iran operate with the support of the IDO.
Prominent subsidiaries of the Organization include the Hozeh Honari (Art Bureau), the Book Foundation, the Sepehr Foundation, the Hedayat Foundation, the Organization of Religious Committees and Associations, the Adolescent Foundation, and the Center for Women’s Cultural Activities.
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