The Iranian musician Parastoo Ahmadi 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 because of it, as have two members of her band. Her lawyer Milad Panahipur reported that the singer was arrested in the north of the country and the two musicians were arrested in their music studio in the capital Tehran. The three were in a place unknown to him and had no contact with the outside world, he told the Internet portal “Emtedad”.
Parastoo Ahmadi’s video was uploaded to YouTube just a few days ago – but has since been viewed almost 1.5 million times. It shows the singer with a four-piece band performing in a caravanserai. The Iranian authorities opened criminal proceedings against them, but as of Saturday nothing was known about the whereabouts of Ahmadi and her band.
People at home and abroad had praised the woman in online media for her courageous initiative. The background: In Iran, many women are dissatisfied with the strict Islamic laws and clothing regulations. In the fall of 2022, masses took to the streets against repressive policies under the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom,” but the demonstrations were violently suppressed.
Many women in major cities are now defying Islamic dress codes, especially the mandatory headscarf, in protest. The parliament, which is dominated by Islamic hardliners, now wants to take action against this with a new, stricter law and draconian penalties.