Iranian Singer Arrested After Performance Without Headscarf

The Iranian musician Parastu has broken several taboos in the Islamic Republic: she sang without a headscarf, in a dress and published the concert on YouTube – now the young woman has been arrested for this, as have two members of her band. Her lawyer Milad Panahipur reported that the singer had been detained in the north of the country, and the two musicians in their music studio in the capital Tehran. The three are in a location unknown to him and have no contact with the outside world, he told the internet portal Emtedad.

Ahmadi performed on Wednesday evening with her four-person band and without an audience on the grounds of a traditional caravanserai. Contrary to the dress code in Iran, she did not wear a hijab, but a black dress with straps that showed her shoulders and arms. People at home and abroad had praised the woman in online media for her courageous initiative. The judiciary announced that it would initiate proceedings against the singer.

Ahmadi has built up a large fan base in Iran with the songs she publishes on Instagram. The videos show Ahmadi singing without a headscarf in closed rooms. The half-hour video published on Wednesday was the first to show her singing in public. With her music, Ahmadi supports the protests in Iran that began after the death of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in September 2022 after her arrest by the morality police.

Many women in the big cities are now protesting against Islamic dress codes, especially the obligatory headscarf. The parliament, which is dominated by Islamic hardliners, now wants to take action against this with a new law and draconian punishments.

Singer Challenges Singing To The Mullahs

In Iran, recordings of a concert go viral. The singer performs outdoors in a strapless dress, her hair down. It’s actually a matter of course, but it’s a provocation for the regime of the Islamic Republic. The judiciary reacts promptly.

An Iranian singer gave a concert without a headscarf and broadcast it live on her YouTube channel – now she is facing legal action. Parastoo Ahmadi performed late Wednesday evening with her four-person band and without an audience on the grounds of a traditional caravanserai. Contrary to the dress code in Iran, she did not wear a hijab, but a black dress with straps that showed her shoulders and arms.

Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, a strict dress code has been in place for women in Iran. Among other things, this requires them to cover their hair in public. Women are also forbidden from singing in public. Without mentioning Ahmadi by name, the Iranian judiciary stated on the Misan Online website that a “group led by a singer” had made music “without observing legal and religious norms”. The judiciary had “intervened and initiated legal proceedings against the singer”. “Appropriate measures” would be taken against those involved.

A written message at the beginning of the stream reads: “I am Parastoo, a woman who wants to sing for the people I love. This is a right I could not give up: to sing for my beloved homeland.” Ahmadi calls on viewers to “listen to my voice in this concert and dream of a free and beautiful nation.”

SOURCE: AFP