Iranian Singer Arrested for Virtual Concert Without Hijab, Raising Concerns About Artistic Freedom

Iranian Female Singer Arrested for Virtual Concert Without Hijab

Parastoo Ahmady, a 27-year-old Iranian singer, was arrested in Sari City, the capital of Mazandaran province, for performing a virtual concert on YouTube without wearing a hijab. The concert, which featured Ahmady in a long black sleeveless dress, was viewed over 1.4 million times.

Ahmady's lawyer, Milad Panahipour, confirmed the arrest but stated that the charges against her, the arresting authority, and her current location remain unknown. He also reported the arrest of two musicians from Ahmady's band, Soheil Faghih Nasiri and Ehsan Beiraghdar, in Tehran on the same day.

Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, women were initially banned from singing altogether. Later, they were prohibited from singing or dancing solo before mixed-gender audiences and could only perform for male audiences as part of a chorus. While they are allowed to sing for female-only audiences, they are not permitted to appear without a hijab in front of unrelated men.

The hijab, particularly the all-encompassing black chador, has become a significant political symbol in Iran, especially after its mandatory implementation following the revolution. For observant Muslim women, the head covering represents piety before God and modesty in front of men outside their families.

This incident follows the 2022 protests across Iran sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in custody after being arrested by the morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly. While the police initially became hesitant to strictly enforce the Islamic dress code to avoid further protests, recent weeks have seen a shift in the authorities' tone.