- By Shivangi Sharma
- Thu, 12 Dec 2024 08:52 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
An Iranian singer faces legal action after defying the country's strict Islamic dress code by performing an online concert without a hijab. The live-streamed event, held at a historic caravanserai and broadcast on YouTube, has drawn criticism from authorities for lacking proper authorisation and violating Iran’s legal and cultural norms.
A legal case has been filed against Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi and her production team following her concert streamed on YouTube. The judiciary stated that the online concert streamed from a historic caravanserai, was unauthorised and did not meet Iran's legal and cultural standards. Despite restrictions on the platform in Iran, the event gained over 150,000 views within 18 hours and sparked significant discussion on Iranian social media.
Parastoo Ahmadi expressed her desire to sing for the people she loves and for her homeland, Iran, where history and legends merge, sharing her voice as a right she couldn't ignore.
Ahmadi wrote: “I am Parastoo, a girl who wants to sing for the people I like. This is a right I could not ignore - singing for the land I passionately love. Here, in this part of our dear Iran, where history and our legends intertwine, listen to my voice.”
She added, "Here, in this part of our beloved Iran, in this place where our history and myths are intertwined, hear my voice in this imaginary concert and imagine this beautiful homeland."
In an act of extraordinary courage, Iranian female singer Parastoo Ahmadi live-streamed herself singing without the mandatory hejab in a Tehran caravanserai, risking years of imprisonment. Another crack in the foundations of Iran’s rotting theocracy. pic.twitter.com/uHuiVCgVKV
— Karim Sadjadpour (@ksadjadpour) December 12, 2024
Ahmadi performed ‘From the Blood of the Youth of the Homeland’ during the 2022 Iran protests. Following her performance, which was well-received, she was summoned by security agencies in October 2023, and a case was filed against her.
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Iran’s New Morality Laws
Iranian law prohibits women from singing solo or appearing in public without a hijab. Parastoo Ahmadi's performance, where she bared her shoulders, defied these restrictions.
Under new morality laws set to take effect this week, women could face severe penalties, including the death penalty or up to 15 years in prison, for violating rules related to modesty, such as promoting nudity or improper dress.