The Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution was formed in December 1984, and substituted the
Cultural Revolution Headquarters. Its ratified bills are valid as approved laws. In accordance with the instructions of the late
Ruhollah Khomeini, one must not overrule the approved issues of this council. Its development started on 12 June 1980, and following a decree by Khomeini, the council was charged to take measures in planning for various policies surrounding universities on the basis of Islamic culture and other issues relevant to the Islamic academic revolution. The headquarters removed certain courses such as music, dismissing it as "fake knowledge." Committees established after the
1979 Revolution came to similar conclusions concerning all subjects in the humanities, including law, political sciences, economy, psychology, education and sociology. The SCCR was formed in December 1984 and substituted the Cultural Revolution Headquarters. It was formed under special circumstances that arose in the early stages of the revolution. The council took its legitimacy from the 9 December 1984 decree of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini. Following the formation of the SCCR, it declared itself the highest body for making policies and decisions in connection with cultural, educational and research activities within the framework of the general policies of the system and considered its approvals indispensable. The group of 7 (in 1980–83, and then 17 in 1984, and expanded to 36 in 1999) was expected to compile all the cultural policies of the country. The SCCR blocked the way to the emergence of the student movement in 1983-1989 period by banning many books and purging thousands of students and lecturers. Through selection of applicants who wished to enter universities and by the formation of institutions inside universities, the council took control of the affairs of all university students. In 1996,
Hojjateslam Mohammad Khatami was appointed as a member of High Council for Cultural Revolution by the
supreme leader of Iran. As president he was the head of the council. In October 2001, the SCCR ordered all private Internet access companies under state control. The order was never implemented, but parliament considered legislation that would require Internet providers to block access to websites such as adult sites. On 10 June 2003, judiciary spokesman
Gholam-Hossein Elham explained that a lack of adequate, government-imposed filtering would "pollute the climate" of Internet sites so that those seeking information would be put off from using the sites. They would thus be deprived of their natural rights to gain knowledge. Elham explained that an advisory committee of the SCCR would take charge of filtering. Elham listed more than 20 matters that would likely be filtered. As president,
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was appointed ex officio by the supreme leader of Iran as a member of High Council for Cultural Revolution in 2005. The president is by virtue of his position the chair of the council. On 17 January 2023,
Abdol Hossein Khosrow Panah was elected as Secretary of Council by members of Council for four years. ==Goals==