Iran is not a free society, but many aspects of life in Tehran are far less conservative than you might think. 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”. Ultimately the goal is important.". Another – by no means insignificant – problem affecting rock in Iran is the lack of solidarity between the bands. 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. “Every time a rock or metal gig has been cancelled for crossing the red lines, at least 20 other gigs have been cancelled or banned afterwards,” he notes. 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. The government’s guidance is sacrosanct because it says so. “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. You will get into trouble quickly.". 'Every day is a day of suffering': Former inmates describe mock executions, beatings and psychological "torture" in the notorious prison where several Australians have been held. Music censorship has a long history. literature, music, film, and the arts—it made for dispiriting reading. 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. 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. 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". 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. What's next for America? On the fourth floor of a rather chic building in central Tehran, the Khosh Honar music academy welcomes music lovers of all kinds. In the chain of command of internet censorship in Iran, FATA is the policing body that acts on information provided by the SCC and CCDOC. by the way 90 percent of people here don't like this kind of rules and don't listen to the government. For him, it is the anti-establishment ideology behind rock that the authorities fear: “Unlike those who go to pop concerts, rock fans are more intellectual, there is a line of thought, and that scares them.”, Khorrami, meanwhile, explains that he has been teaching electric guitar for 10 years, and that 95 per cent of rock and metal musicians in Iran earn their living by teaching. 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 school is unique in that, a few months ago, it began issuing a diploma that is equal to a degree. They instead launch their music on social media. The Ershad is in charge of providing these permits and judges whether these works are in line with Islamic culture. "Instead, the country should show pride and support. 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 … “Headbanging is banned, even though it’s the DNA of heavy metal,” laments Kharrazzi. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). His name wasn't uttered. 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. It's funny, but a big pain for us," Ms Kafasha told the ABC. The combination of cultural heritage with hip-hop, rap and rock music is typical of the (underground) music scene in Iran. 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. Ms Bandeh said many of her students also faced opposition at home, with some even beaten by family members for attending her classes. Will the pandemic change our relationship with nature and animals? By Ariane Gottlieb, Research Associate. Shirin comes from a family of musicians. Here’s what the recent crackdown in Iran can tell us about the regime’s approach to internet censorship and what comes next. Unlikely as this now may seem, there was a … In any other country, we would probably be making a living from our concerts.”. His music label, Barg Music, which he said "supported banned artists, including many women", was shut down and his instruments and other equipment were confiscated. Ms Bandeh, who performed to Mr Rajabian's music in the video that led to his arrest, said Iran's "complicated" rules regarding entertainment were a "grey zone". 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. My song failed to obtain the necessary authorisations, as it was, apparently, too close a reflection of the current situation,” he explains. Female singer Negar Moazzam also received a prison sentence for performing solo in 2018, Mr Taheri told the ABC. 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. A record shop in Tehran in 2005, when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad banned all western music from Iranian airwaves. She was saddened to receive the news of Mr Rajabian's arrest in connection to her dance. – what happens when a grassroots, international creators’ movement and a traditional trade union join forces? We would find cassettes and would come by a metal magazine from time to time. Shahab therefore has pupils from Mashhad, in eastern Iran, from Ahvaz and Baluchistan in the south. 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. All concerts, and specially all radio and television broadcasts of foreign and Iranian, classical and popular music, were banned. After providing a brief background on music censorship in Iran prior to the revolution of 1978–1979, the chapter chronicles developments in music censorship in the country, from Ayatollah Khomeini’s ban on all concerts, and especially the radio and television broadcasts of foreign and Iranian classical and popular music, to the relaxation of strict policies on music under President Hāshemi Rafsanjāni. Live: 'I promise I'll fire you on the spot': Biden lays down marker as new administration sworn in, He'd already left town. Throughout the past century of Iranian political history and moving into its contemporary climate, severe censorship has occurred. "Music is our only weapon. 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.”. This was also the case with the ShabShanbeha festival, which hasn’t been held since. But for Ms Bandeh, dancing has been her lifelong passion and she has no intention of stopping. This story has been translated from French. Music has always been a target for censorship with many debates about appropriate use of language, religious references, violence, sexuality and civil rights being the main areas of contention. Internet censorship is very sophisticated in Iran and mapping how people get around it is even more complicated. While Western pop music has largely been banned, a wave of locally produced hip-hop, rock and techno have found their audiences online. Last year, a popular social media movement called #dancingisnotacrime went viral, in protest of government censorship. 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. In September 2017, they shared a stage with Finnish metal group Kalmah, in Dubai. 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. 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. Tayfun Guttstadt demonstrates just how erroneous this is ... Education, Free speech and censorship, Iranian clerics, Iranian literature, Iranian opposition, Islamic Revolution of Iran, Muslim women, Women in the Islamic world. A few months ago, the young man nevertheless obtained an authorisation from the Labour Ministry allowing him to issue a technical and professional diploma. 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. The arrival of the internet has changed the game, making it possible to develop a degree of musical culture in the Islamic Republic. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. "I felt they took my identity and there was nothing left inside of me.". The music is only stopped if someone wants to play the guitar or sing. His father, a musician, played the santur, a traditional Iraqi instrument from the zither family – poles apart from Amir’s passion for rock, which he sees as an act of fate, given how little access there was to this kind of music in the Islamic Republic: “There was no internet at the time, and not even CDs. 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". This clandestine scene is the subject of Bahman Ghobadi’s film, No One Knows About Persian Cats, released in 2009. Different departments within the Ershad are responsible for interpreting what fits and w… Uyghur refugees speak out against genocide and crimes against humanity. 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. 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. But despite their hard work, they said they cannot break out into the larger electronic music scene because of restrictions. 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. 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. Kaveh Taheri, a Turkey-based Iranian researcher, investigative journalist and founder of political studies institute ICBPS, said Iranian authorities have banned 52 women musicians from performing since early 2019. As with many other areas in Iran, music is linked to politics. According to Iran's Islamic penal code, singing and dancing are not illegal but a person can be prosecuted if authorities deem their acts "indecent" or "immoral". Right now, social media is the only showcase for Iranian rock: “As none of our musicians appear on TV, nobody knows we exist,” regrets Salman Kerdar, head of the Khosh Honar music academy. Once this hurdle is overcome, organising concerts is a whole other matter. Partial or total internet blocking is becoming a regrettably common government response to protests or political upheaval, but the tactics used and the extent of the shutdowns vary. Heather Rastovac The Underground Music Scene in Urban Iran 63 position, as well as its religiously contested status, pop music was officially banned following the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic form of government in Iran. 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. "I feel it is my goal in life to express our history, our culture, our joys and our struggles through this beautiful art form.". Instead of respect, it creates fear.". 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. "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. In this country, those who persevere are really passionate about it.” Amir Kharrazi manages several bands in Iran and also organises concerts. From that moment on, all musicians, writers, artists and media makers needed permits that allowed them to publicly display their works. "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. Mina Kafashan is one part of Iranian techno duo Grey Wolves Noise. "But as soon as the dance is presented as an individual form of expression, an art, the perception is often completely different," she said. Mr Rajabian said he would continue defying Iranian laws that banned free artistic expression. In contrast to conven- Censorship affects not just literature, music and film. "We might have some performances in some small places with few audiences, but they are all without [Government] authorisation," she said. Censorship fears rise as Iran blocks access to top ... facilities banned in an attempt to impede "corrupting" foreign films and music. "We can't even dance while we're performing. 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. "Persian dance connects me to the core of my soul, my culture and my people," she said. Shirin explains that in spite of all the efforts aimed at reviving rock music in Iran, she cannot speak about her work with pride: “I think that most people do not know this genre and associate it with negative images, such as depravity, alcohol, devil worshipping and even prostitution. Many in the West equate Middle Eastern music with the folklore of "A Thousand and One Nights". Amir Shahab Khorrami, founder of the death metal band AtriA, and Shirin Vaezi, the band’s drummer, sometimes meet at the café. It is also the place where budding young musicians can showcase their talents. 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. As a result, I’d rather say I play pop music, to be more respected,” says the young woman. Her story inspired the viral protest of thousands of Iranian women around the world filming themselves dancing in protest. “Everyone seems bent on putting obstacles in the other’s way, when we could all be climbing the steps together! 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. ... On 30 January 2019, Iranian band Askair, performed a concert in Tehran. 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Music in … Examining cinema, literature, music and theatre, our 2012 report exposes the nightmarish conditions endured by Iranian … It is actually a quotation from Jalal ad-Din Rumi (1207-1273), a celebrated Persian poet. This tall, 36-year-old bearded man was drawn into the world of rock and metal when he was a teenager. "A strong women that dares to express herself individually suddenly becomes threatening. The weathered manager also tells the story of an AtriA poster that had to be altered to appease the authorities: “The poster featured a guitar with a few flames coming out of it. "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. In Iran, we don’t really have a team spirit,” regrets Shahab. Between censorship and a burgeoning music scene, Iranian rockers are trying to keep to tempo. They told us that the flames might call to mind the devil and would have to be removed,” he recounts. With 15 years of music under his belt, Amir Shahab, aged 31, is an old hand. 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. 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 … This tale is unrecognizable to people who live in Iran. 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. But this fairy tale is so prevalent and omnipresent, because the stories of those who have actually lived there are yet to be told. Indeed, from the very outset, the official position of the Islamic regime was unmistakable. 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. says a song by the famous Iranian rock band O-Hum. That same year, Iranian state TV broadcast apologies — which appeared to be filmed in prison — of several women, who were briefly detained for posting videos of themselves dancing on Instagram, according to a report by Human Rights Watch. 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). The Iranian embassy in Canberra, the Parliament of Iran and the Ministry of Justice did not respond to requests for comment. 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. Philosophy in music are bullets for our struggle. 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. Such restrictions have pushed Iran's music and dance scenes underground. 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. Her workshop and home were raided, her belongings were confiscated and she was detained for one year. With AtriA, she had the opportunity to take part in a concert abroad. But Rajabian has been determined to defy the authorities’ efforts to intimidate him, repress his art, and silence women’s voices. Joe Biden has been sworn into office. 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. Everyone, however, seems to agree that last year was one of the best years for Iranian rock, largely thanks to the holding of the ShabShanbeha Festival (literally, “Saturday evenings”), the kind of event that hasn’t been seen in Iran since the 1979 Revolution: “Every Saturday, except during religious festivals, at least four groups were able to play on stage, whereas under normal circumstances, they would have to bend over backwards to obtain the authorisations,” notes Shahab. 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. 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.”. We give everything we have just to reach the surface, and then the real competition begins!” says Kharrazi. Rock or metal musicians are still, moreover, considered by some authorities to be devil worshippers. The poet of the time called on the Mongol ruler to take care of his people, whose living conditions were deteriorating. Warning, your message will only be displayed after it has been checked and approved. Despite working "really hard", she said their music still has no platform inside Iran. 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. At age 11, she came across a Marilyn Manson CD, totally by chance: “I couldn’t listen to anything else after that!” she exclaims. Ms Bandeh said the criminalisation of such a "beautiful, soft and elegant form of art" was both "absurd and unjust". Iran’s Cyber Police unit (FATA), tasked with fighting “digital criminals”, is the most notorious. Kharrazi has experienced no shortage of difficulties during his career, and he is not the only one. Iran has very strict censorship rules regarding women’s appearance, and which topics are permitted to be discussed openly. The songs of the best American rock, folk and blues bands are played over and over again. Several of his songs have been rejected on this basis: “I once took a poem from the Mongol period and set it to music. A question of boundaries lays at the heart of music censorship, but artists have always pushed back, fighting for the freedom to express themselves. Chapter 8 is about music in Iran Shahkar Binesh-Pajouh is a lecturer with a doctorate in urban planning, who blends rap music with Persian classical poetry to condemn poverty, unemployment and other social issues. 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. Musicians therefore have to dedicate part of their courses to raising their students’ awareness about the importance of respecting each other’s work. Back then, playing rock was like selling drugs, it was hidden, often played in cellars or garages. "One artist can create a video clip with a dancer, another is arrested for it. “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. 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. Internet users have made impressive strides in circumventing Internet-based music censorship. 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. Big data: a friend or foe for small farmers. "I have never expressed negative sentiments about our country anywhere. 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-). Censorship mandated by the Ministry of Culture occurs in every aspect of life in Iran. In Iran, if one band exceeds the limits, all the others pay the price. She and partner Mehdi Darzi have been creating music in Tehran's underground techno scene for the past two years. "We are born into censorship. Yet many Iranians felt dance was a part of their culture, she said, including dancing at weddings and private parties. Still, here I am; a dancer, a criminal.". I did that for a few years until I decided to quit my job to pursue my true passion,” she recalls. Photograph: Morteza Nikoubazl/Reuters T e h … Last year, a popular social media movement called #dancingisnotacrime went viral, in protest of government censorship. Reported cases of internet censorship. The couple, who are both sound engineers, create their music from scratch using synthesisers and electronic beats. “Unfortunately, there are not many options for the musicians in the provinces. Today’s young people, who make up 70 per cent of the country’s population, are conscious of being the sacrificed generation, the ones whose entire lives are likely to be spent struggling for the next generation to have rights. Culture in Iran was facing a state of emergency. Forbidden to perform in public, many female dancers in Iran use their social media accounts as a type of virtual stage. Excerpt from Chapter 8 in the report ’Unveiled: Art and Censorship in Iran’, published by Article 19 in September 2006. "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. YouTubers of the world, unite! 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. At Café Blues, in central Tehran, not far from the old American embassy, there is music on all the time. 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". I have spent my life presenting the beautiful side of Iran and our culture to people all over the world," she said. Censorship begins inside the home," he told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) in a recent interview. 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. Job to pursue my true passion, ” she recalls, another arrested. The best American rock, folk and Blues bands are played over and over.! Call to mind the devil and would have to be approved, does. This country, '' she said time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT ( Greenwich time... 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Past two years ahead of GMT ( Greenwich Mean time ) raided, her belongings confiscated... Is music on all the time called on the Mongol ruler to take part a! And our culture to people all over the world filming themselves dancing protest. Warning, your message will only be displayed after it has been checked and approved pupils... With many other areas in Iran and the arts—it made for dispiriting reading kind of rules and do like. Blues, in protest 36-year-old bearded man was drawn into the world of rock and metal he! A part of Iranian women around the world of rock and metal he! Have pushed Iran 's music and dance scenes underground would continue defying Iranian laws that banned free artistic.. Has experienced no shortage of difficulties during his career, and then real. Their music, to be approved, as does their music still no. Of locally produced hip-hop, rap and rock music is only stopped if someone wants play. The musicians in the south a strong women that dares to express herself individually suddenly becomes threatening not break into.
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