Cancellation of Mohsen Ebrahimzadeh's Concert Due to Lack of Gender Segregation

Mohsen Ebrahimzadeh, a pop singer in Iran, announced on his social media account that his concerts in the cities of Yasuj and Gachsaran were canceled due to the lack of "gender segregation" and the "lights being off during the concert"; an action that the director general of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province responded to by saying, "There is no problem, we are following up to hold it." The Tasnim news agency, affiliated with security institutions, reported on this issue and quoted Amin Derakhshan, the director general of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, claiming that "Mohsen Ebrahimzadeh believes that holding a concert in Yasuj without Gachsaran is not economically viable." In this report, this ministry official claimed that "there has been no political sabotage, and we are pursuing to hold the concert next week, and if it is not held, the tickets sold will be refunded to the purchasers." The Farhikhtegan newspaper's website, affiliated with Azad University, however, has a different account of the story and, while republishing Mohsen Ebrahimzadeh's explanations regarding the cancellation of the concert, stated: "According to some reports, the prevention of the venue being allocated for the concert by certain individuals in these two cities and the prosecutor's insistence on the lights being on during the concert were among the main issues for the cancellation of this concert." In recent years, the Islamic Republic has imposed more restrictions in the field of music, with the prohibition of female musicians performing on stage in some cities being a prominent example of these restrictions. Meanwhile, the ban on displaying musical instruments on state television has been pursued vigorously for years. The public's singing after the cancellation of Alireza Ghorbani's concert behind closed doors – Isfahan. Dariush Eghbali, supporting the women’s strike at Evin Prison, called for the cancellation of the execution of Sharifeh Mohammadi. The statement writing of the "Promotion of Virtue" headquarters in Isfahan increased the likelihood of another cancellation of Alireza Ghorbani's concert. The continuation of the controversies surrounding the cancellation of Alireza Ghorbani's concert; the Deputy for Artistic Affairs of the Ministry of Culture criticized the Isfahan governorate. The cancellation of Alireza Ghorbani's concert was due to the prevention of female musicians' participation. The Ministry of Culture defended the ban on concerts in Mashhad; unless a concert is held in the Vatican.