Iran has very strict censorship rules regarding women’s appearance, and which topics are permitted to be discussed openly. Last year, a popular social media movement called #dancingisnotacrime went viral, in protest of government censorship. It is also the place where budding young musicians can showcase their talents. 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Anything cultural or artistic … Musicians therefore have to dedicate part of their courses to raising their students’ awareness about the importance of respecting each other’s work. Her workshop and home were raided, her belongings were confiscated and she was detained for one year. In contrast to conven- "We're not free to do what we want, and we always have to present ourselves in a really restricted frame.". In 2015, Mr Rajabian said he was again imprisoned, this time for two years during which he went on a hunger strike for 40 days. Censorship affects not just literature, music and film. Yet many Iranians felt dance was a part of their culture, she said, including dancing at weddings and private parties. The report traces the gradual imposition of music censorship since 1978, when the communist government of Nur Ahmad Taraki came to power in a violent coup d’etat. We've seen some examples of censorship in the Middle-East before but Iranian music streaming site Melovaz decided to take it to the extreme. But for Ms Bandeh, dancing has been her lifelong passion and she has no intention of stopping. says a song by the famous Iranian rock band O-Hum. Her story inspired the viral protest of thousands of Iranian women around the world filming themselves dancing in protest. – what happens when a grassroots, international creators’ movement and a traditional trade union join forces? Live: 'I promise I'll fire you on the spot': Biden lays down marker as new administration sworn in, He'd already left town. Censorship mandated by the Ministry of Culture occurs in every aspect of life in Iran. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. The young woman started taking drum lessons at the age of 20 and went on to become one of the few, if not the only, female drummers in Iran: “When I started working as a civil engineer, I didn’t have much time to rehearse and couldn’t play at home, so I used to drive to a friend’s place to practise there for half an hour. Between censorship and a burgeoning music scene, Iranian rockers are trying to keep to tempo From left to right, Shirin Vaezi, Amir Kharrazi and Amir Shahab, from the group AtriA, after a re-hearsal in their private studio, on 15 September 2018 in Tehran. "We might have some performances in some small places with few audiences, but they are all without [Government] authorisation," she said. It's funny, but a big pain for us," Ms Kafasha told the ABC. They instead launch their music on social media. As with many other areas in Iran, music is linked to politics. Instead of respect, it creates fear.". The poet of the time called on the Mongol ruler to take care of his people, whose living conditions were deteriorating. Still, here I am; a dancer, a criminal.". The courses are designed in line with international teaching methods and can be taken online, which means that musicians living in the provinces can also follow them. Ms Bandeh said the criminalisation of such a "beautiful, soft and elegant form of art" was both "absurd and unjust". "I have never expressed negative sentiments about our country anywhere. After the Islamic revolution in 1979, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, also known as the Ershad, came into existence to control all cultural activities in the country. Organising concerts is virtually impossible, because in addition to the authorisations from the ministry, they also need the approval of the Friday Imam, the religious authority. “If they lived in Iran, none of the international groups of today would have had the strength to carry on working, because the conditions here are so difficult. Such restrictions have pushed Iran's music and dance scenes underground. "We can't even dance while we're performing. Democracy and health: how citizen participation can also contribute to better health care. Mr Rajabian creates classical compositions using local Iranian instruments, but his latest project contains something largely forbidden in Iran: the graceful movements of a female classical dancer. Internet censorship is very sophisticated in Iran and mapping how people get around it is even more complicated. This phenomenon, as well as very limited knowledge about this kind of music, can be attributed to the restrictions that followed the 1979 Revolution. by the way 90 percent of people here don't like this kind of rules and don't listen to the government. The Ershad is in charge of providing these permits and judges whether these works are in line with Islamic culture. Shahab therefore has pupils from Mashhad, in eastern Iran, from Ahvaz and Baluchistan in the south. Another – by no means insignificant – problem affecting rock in Iran is the lack of solidarity between the bands. Even now, many groups in Iran are still part of the underground scene, which means that they have not been validated by the Ministry of Culture and Guidance and the concerts they organise are illegal. Every event requires a permit from the Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry, which also has the authority to intervene and cancel anything deemed immoral, according to the Centre for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI). Iranian musicians have proudly named this style "Combined Music". If they are known, they will have plenty of students, otherwise they will simply try to make ends meet: “It’s frustrating because instead of practising and developing our music, when we teach, we are constantly repeating the basics and, in the long run, we risk losing our skills. "The judge told me I was charged with publishing a woman singing and a woman dancing in my latest project, which 'causes society to go into prostitution'," Mr Rajabian said. Composer Mehdi Rajabian has been dragged before an Iranian Revolutionary Court for the third time in his career under an obscure law that forbids "crimes against public moral". Photograph: Morteza Nikoubazl/Reuters T e h … Ms Bandeh spent six years teaching Persian classical dance both in Iran and abroad until, despite holding a permit, she was arrested last year. Share: As part of IMP and ASL19’s continuing coverage of media policy in Iran, musician Shahin Najafi sat down with ASL19 for an interview about music and censorship in Iran.. Shahin Najafi is an Iranian rap star that recently came out of hiding after the Islamic Republic of Iran placed a fatwa, or religious edict, with a bounty of $100,000 for his life. The government’s guidance is sacrosanct because it says so. Sometimes we were able to get hold of video cassettes, for example, and that’s how we saw a clip of Iron Maiden for the first time,” he reminisces. His name wasn't uttered. In September 2017, they shared a stage with Finnish metal group Kalmah, in Dubai. The combination of cultural heritage with hip-hop, rap and rock music is typical of the (underground) music scene in Iran. At age 11, she came across a Marilyn Manson CD, totally by chance: “I couldn’t listen to anything else after that!” she exclaims. The fight against censorship is an exercise in absurdity, a long, frustrating process of negotiation for the sake of negotiation, a futile wading into quicksand. Another incident in 2014 made headlines across the world when six Iranians were arrested for appearing in an "obscene" video dancing to Pharrell Williams' song Happy. MYTH: The Iranian government exercises strict control over the press and tightly censors the Internet and media, making communication with the outside world virtually nonexistent.This censorship makes it impossible for Iranians to publicly criticize the government or to obtain international news and perspectives on current events. But Rajabian has been determined to defy the authorities’ efforts to intimidate him, repress his art, and silence women’s voices. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. The young woman adds that even when abroad, they always have to mind their behaviour: “They [the Iranian authorities] can always hold something against us on our return.”. They have faced restrictions from authorities' countless times and cannot play their electronic music at any mix-gender festivals, as Ms Kafashan would face too much scrutiny as a female musician. In any other country, we would probably be making a living from our concerts.”. While Western pop music has largely been banned, a wave of locally produced hip-hop, rock and techno have found their audiences online. Groups that manage to have a concert authorised throw all their money into it, only to see it cancelled at the last minute for no good reason. From that moment on, all musicians, writers, artists and media makers needed permits that allowed them to publicly display their works. The arrival of the internet has changed the game, making it possible to develop a degree of musical culture in the Islamic Republic. Shirin comes from a family of musicians. In Iran, we don’t really have a team spirit,” regrets Shahab. A record shop in Tehran in 2005, when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad banned all western music from Iranian airwaves. White House press secretary Jen Psaki says Joe Biden received a "generous and gracious" letter from Donald Trump, but its contents won't be revealed until the pair speak, Joe Biden says if he ever hears someone from his administration "treat another colleague with disrespect, I promise you I will fire you on the spot", Australia's official unemployment rate fell to 6.6 per cent in December, with 50,000 people starting a new job that month, Follow our live coverage as Joe Biden is inaugurated as the next US president, Follow our live coverage for the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic. I have spent my life presenting the beautiful side of Iran and our culture to people all over the world," she said. Unlikely as this now may seem, there was a … "I could not believe that something so beautiful could be treated so unjustly … It is hard to express the depth of the sadness that lives inside of me for it," she said. "Persian dance connects me to the core of my soul, my culture and my people," she said. Negar Mortazavi speaks with Nahid Siamdoust, visiting Assistant Professor at Harvard University, about music after the 1979 revolution in Iran through the Iran-Iraq war, the post-war era of pop music, political music inspired by the 2009 green movement, and today's musicians in the diaspora, in memory of legendary Iranian singer the late Mohammadreza Shajarian. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Beloved among world-music circles for her vocal perfection, Persian classical singer Mahsa Vahdat has been internationally recognized for raising awareness of freedom of expression for the female Iranian musical voice. Once this hurdle is overcome, organising concerts is a whole other matter. He said he spent three months of 2013 in solitary confinement in Tehran's notorious Evin prison, accused of insulting the values of Islam and spreading propaganda against the regime for an album he described on Facebook as being about the "absurdity" of the Iran-Iraq war. Censorship begins inside the home," he told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) in a recent interview. Moreover, as Kerdar points out, “rock uses a raw language” and any societal issue in the Islamic Republic touches on politics. Rajabian is a musician in Iran, where women’s behaviour and expression – including their ability to sing in public or record their songs – is severely limited by the regime. Last year, a popular social media movement called #dancingisnotacrime went viral, in protest of government censorship. Because of government restrictions and political issues, Ms Kafasha said there is no way to "show our art or make people familiar with what we do". Each group member has to be approved, as does their music, their lyrics and their attire. He remarks that there is not much faith in Iranian groups in his country: “If you tell me that a certain Swedish rock or metal band has released a new album, I’ll run to check it out, whereas if it’s an Iranian band, I’ll go half-heartedly.”, Shirin confirms his view: “When I was asked to join AtriA, I refused several times. This was also the case with the ShabShanbeha festival, which hasn’t been held since. They told us that the flames might call to mind the devil and would have to be removed,” he recounts. "But as soon as the dance is presented as an individual form of expression, an art, the perception is often completely different," she said. As a result, I’d rather say I play pop music, to be more respected,” says the young woman. Censorship fears rise as Iran blocks access to top ... facilities banned in an attempt to impede "corrupting" foreign films and music. “Everyone seems bent on putting obstacles in the other’s way, when we could all be climbing the steps together! It is actually a quotation from Jalal ad-Din Rumi (1207-1273), a celebrated Persian poet. He said he was interrogated and detained for several hours before his family paid for him to be released on bail ahead of his trial. She was saddened to receive the news of Mr Rajabian's arrest in connection to her dance. In the Islamic Republic, anyone wanting to form a group, regardless of the musical genre, has to go to the Ministry and fill in the relevant forms. Examining cinema, literature, music and theatre, our 2012 report exposes the nightmarish conditions endured by Iranian … Nevertheless, despite all the measures designed to stifle music, it could not be eliminated from … "If you choose to be an independent artist and you value to be able to express yourself freely, you are on the wrong side of the fence. The school is unique in that, a few months ago, it began issuing a diploma that is equal to a degree. We give everything we have just to reach the surface, and then the real competition begins!” says Kharrazi. Authorisation has to be obtained from a whole host of authorities in addition to the Ministry, some of which are indirectly linked to the Guardians of the Revolution. With AtriA, she had the opportunity to take part in a concert abroad. Between censorship and a burgeoning music scene, Iranian rockers are trying to keep to tempo. Authorities in the nation have long censored art, music and other forms of cultural expression, but Iranian law only vaguely defines what constitutes acts against morality. Hassan Rouhani was elected in 2013 on the promise that he would allow Iran’s cultural scene the space to flourish, free from the worst excesses of censorship that … Uyghur refugees speak out against genocide and crimes against humanity. We would find cassettes and would come by a metal magazine from time to time. "We are born into censorship. "The repression of Iranian women singers and musicians is not only part of the broad denial of freedom of expression in Iran, where any political or artistic expression disapproved of by the authorities is forbidden and criminalised, it also reflects the intense cultural repression Iranian women face in all walks of life," CHRI executive director Hadi Ghaemi said. All concerts, and specially all radio and television broadcasts of foreign and Iranian, classical and popular music, were banned. Back then, playing rock was like selling drugs, it was hidden, often played in cellars or garages. Throughout the past century of Iranian political history and moving into its contemporary climate, severe censorship has occurred. To better understand this specific type of censorship, one needs to recognize the fundamental differences between a classical dictatorship government (such as Shah’s in 1941-1978) versus a religious dictatorship (Islamic Republic, 1979-). But Biden's day was all about rejecting Trumpism, Live: Indoor mask-wearing lifted in Greater Brisbane after no new cases, Donald Trump has pardoned the ex-husband of a Fox News host as his last act before leaving office, 22yo Amanda wrote a powerful poem to read at Joe Biden's inauguration. The Intelligence Ministry has banned at least 26 popular Iranian singers, including Shahram Shokoohi, Mohsen Yeganeh, Reza Sadeghi and Sirvan Khosravi, from performing in Iran after their music was broadcast by satellite networks abroad. “Headbanging is banned, even though it’s the DNA of heavy metal,” laments Kharrazzi. "Music is our only weapon. In this country, those who persevere are really passionate about it.” Amir Kharrazi manages several bands in Iran and also organises concerts. Indeed, from the very outset, the official position of the Islamic regime was unmistakable. A few months ago, the young man nevertheless obtained an authorisation from the Labour Ministry allowing him to issue a technical and professional diploma. "A strong women that dares to express herself individually suddenly becomes threatening. The music is only stopped if someone wants to play the guitar or sing. Shahab also feels it is a shame that young musicians are not able to experience performing on stage more often: “Music schools allow us to organise concerts under the cover of their authorisations, but they are often so-called experimental concerts, in a small lounge, which only family and close friends can attend, and the acoustic conditions do not really allow us to replicate the real thing.”. Reported cases of internet censorship. Mr Rejabian told the ABC he was arrested after Sony Music released his latest album online, along with a video featuring renowned Persian classical dancer Helia Bandeh. As part of the BBC's Inside Iran season, Behzad Bolour of the BBC Persian Service looks at how underground acts are challenging the tough music censorship laws in the country. "I feel it is my goal in life to express our history, our culture, our joys and our struggles through this beautiful art form.". Ms Bandeh said many of her students also faced opposition at home, with some even beaten by family members for attending her classes. The movement was sparked after 17-year-old Maedeh Hojabri confessed to crimes on Iranian state TV when authorities clamped down on her Instagram account, where she had posted videos of herself dancing without a head covering. Music in … Culture in Iran was facing a state of emergency. Censorship and the Islamic Republic: Two Modes of Regulatory Measures for Media in Iran Babak Rahimi This article focuses on censorship in Iran and offers an overall view on the con-trol of information through complex regulatory and cultural practices that make media production possible under the Islamic Republic. An Iranian music streaming site is causing public uproar after it emerged they erase all evidence of women from the front of their own album artwork. “It’s a profound source of sadness for me that neither my parents nor my country backed me, and that I have to go elsewhere to hear people cry out my name, to understand my true worth,” laments Shirin. Iran’s Cyber Police unit (FATA), tasked with fighting “digital criminals”, is the most notorious. It was only at the insistence of a mutual friend that I deigned to listen to their music and I was surprised at the quality of their work.”. This tale is unrecognizable to people who live in Iran. During 14 years of communist rule, music in Afghanistan was heavily controlled by the Ministry for Information and Culture, while in the refugee camps in Pakistan and Iran all music was prohibited in order to maintain a continual state of … As early as 1940 George Formby had his song “When I’m Cleaning Windows” banned due to its alleged smutty lyrics!!! Equal Times is a trilingual news and opinion website focusing on labour, human rights, culture, development, the environment, politics and the economy from a social justice perspective. The couple, who are both sound engineers, create their music from scratch using synthesisers and electronic beats. "Even if I go to prison hundreds of times, I need female singing in my project, I need female dance along with philosophy and thinking," he said. But despite their hard work, they said they cannot break out into the larger electronic music scene because of restrictions. "Persian dance runs through my veins and without it I might just as well not be there at all," she said. According to Kharrazi, it follows a cyclical pattern: eight years of reformists and there’s an opening in the world of cinema, theatre and music, then eight years of conservatives and there is another clamp down. On the fourth floor of a rather chic building in central Tehran, the Khosh Honar music academy welcomes music lovers of all kinds. Excerpt from Chapter 8 in the report ’Unveiled: Art and Censorship in Iran’, published by Article 19 in September 2006. Musicians in Iran and the Iranian diaspora continue to grow and strengthen their networks online while end users in Iran continue to develop and harness the means to evade filters in order to create and experience underground music online. There have been restrictions on women performing publicly in front of men who are not their immediate relatives since the Islamic revolution of 1979. Different departments within the Ershad are responsible for interpreting what fits and w… "Iranian women — as half of the nation's population — have no right to sing publicly or dance, even by stealth if the authorities find out," he said. "We're somehow anonymous in our country," she said. Amir Shahab Khorrami, founder of the death metal band AtriA, and Shirin Vaezi, the band’s drummer, sometimes meet at the café. They were sentenced to up to one year in prison and 91 lashes, their lawyer said, but AP later reported that their prison sentence would be suspended as long as they did not commit any more crimes. It is a step forward, as Vaezi explains, because “you can’t choose the electric guitar or drums as your main instrument when you study music at university”. Sarah Leah Whiston, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said at the time that the incident was "equal parts abusive and embarrassing" and "a new low for the Iranian authorities". 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