Iran's parliament summons Iranian ministers over the invitation of Hollywood figures from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The parliament cultural commission summoned Iranian Foreign Minster Manoucher Mottaki, Intelligence Minister Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejeie and Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Hossein Saffar-Harandi to explain the presence of a Hollywood team in Tehran.

"The issue should be clarified to see who has invited the Hollywood delegation to Tehran and why," said Javad Aryanmanesh, a member of the commission, on Tuesday.

"The Iranian identity has been insulted by Hollywood," he went on to say.

The move by parliament came after the production of such controversial Hollywood movies as 300 -- a movie that critics in Iran claim distorts historic facts regarding the Persian Empire and its treatment of other countries.

The Hollywood delegation includes AMPAS president Sid Ganis, American screenwriter and film director Frank Pierson, actress Annette Bening and producer William Horberg.

When asked if the visit was political, Ganis explained, "We are members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences not Hollywood representatives."

"We came over to Iran on culture not politics," he said.

The Hollywood figures arrived in Iran on Friday February 27 to hold filmmaking and movie marketing seminars.

Javad Shamqadri, art advisor to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, gave his own opinion on the issue on Sunday, saying that Hollywood has offended and insulted the Iranian nation in diverse ways and Hollywood officials must therefore apologize.

"Iranian cinema officials should only have the right to hold official sessions with Hollywood delegates when they apologize to the Iranians for their 30 years of insults and offense," Shamqadri maintains.

HRF/JG/AA