Death of Hossein Zaman, Critic of the Iranian Government; User Reactions: 'He Died of Grief'

Hossein Zaman, a renowned pop singer and critic of the Iranian government, passed away after a long illness. He was 64 years old at the time of his death. Mr. Zaman had been hospitalized for several months due to advanced liver cancer, but the efforts of doctors ultimately proved futile, and he passed away on Thursday. Abouzar Zaman, the artist's son, announced his father's death on social media, writing, 'My dad is gone, dad is gone forever.' Hossein Zaman was among the Iranian pop singers who began his artistic activities in the 1970s. 'Shab-e Deltangi' (Night of Longing) is the first album of this singer, released in 1997, which includes popular tracks such as 'Roshan-tar az Setareh' (Brighter than a Star), 'Boye Tanhaei' (Scent of Loneliness), 'Parandeh' (Bird), and 'Gholgoli' (Choking). Mr. Zaman was banned from performing for years starting in 2002 and was not allowed to hold concerts. After years away from the stage, he held a concert in Milad Tower, Tehran, in 2019, and at that time told the ISNA news agency that he had 'never received a clear answer regarding the reason for his 17-year ban on holding concerts.' It was expected that this concert would mark a new beginning for Hossein Zaman, but he once again disappeared from the scene. 'Fasle Ashnaei' (Season of Familiarity), 'Ghalayeh' (Complaint), 'Ghesse-ye Shab' (Night Story), 'Shaparak' (Butterfly), and 'Mashq-e Shab' (Night Homework) are among the solo, collaborative, or compilation albums that included songs by Hossein Zaman. During the recent nationwide protests in Iran, he sang the song 'Khiaban' (Street) in support of the protesters, which received significant attention on social media. Zeynab Zaman, his daughter, who is a women's rights activist, was detained for a period due to her support for the nationwide protests. It is said that one of the reasons for Hossein Zaman's deteriorating health was the arrest of his daughter, which added significant emotional pressure on this artist battling cancer. Hossein Zaman had repeatedly criticized the cultural and artistic policies of the Iranian government, especially in the field of music, including the actions of Hassan Rouhani's administration. The death of Hossein Zaman received widespread attention on social media and was met with numerous reactions from Iranian users. Mehdi Yarahee, a singer, wrote on Twitter: 'Hossein Zaman soared high.' Mona Barzoui, a poet and lyricist, said: 'Since morning, my hand hasn't been able to write. Mr. Hossein Zaman, a respected, honorable, and dignified artist, was the voice of his people until his last breath, what a pity.' Pejman Mousavi, a journalist, wrote: 'Hossein Zaman, the Iranian singer, passed away after enduring much pain; his pain was twofold: the pain from the illness that recently afflicted him and the pain of years of censorship and prohibition that had long plagued him. This same Ali Larijani, who today says, 'The country needs another solution.' Ehsan Karami, a media activist, said: 'May his soul rest in peace, an artist who did not bow to tyranny. We will not forget that the reason for his deteriorating condition was the arrest of his daughter.' Saeed Hafezi, a journalist, shared one of Hossein Zaman's Instagram stories and wrote: 'Hossein Zaman passed away. But not due to liver cancer! Read his story from a few days ago and know that the Islamic Republic killed him. Yes, Hossein Zaman died of grief.' Bahman Babazadeh shared Hossein Zaman's last calendar message to the people in the final days of his life, which read: 'I am in this corner of the mourning prison, you are outside this place in my dreams, I mourn for you in this corner, you are outside these bars, in my place.' Previously, Nasir Mashkouri, a writer and music critic, had discussed the reasons behind the violent crackdown of the Islamic Republic on critical artists and their suppression in Iran in an interview with Voice of America, emphasizing that 'an artist's place in any field they work in, whether political, social, protest, revolutionary, or even those who do not care about these issues and only do artistic work, is not in prison.'