Exclusive | Shabnam Farshadjou, Actress: I Was Aware of the Consequences When I Decided to Remove the Mandatory Hijab

Shabnam Farshadjou, an actress and spokesperson for the Iranian Artists' Association of Film and Theater Abroad, reacted to the ban on actors opposing the mandatory hijab, stating: "At the moment I decided to remove the mandatory hijab, I thought about all the consequences." The publication of a list of several actors opposing the mandatory hijab, who have been banned from artistic activities by the Islamic Republic, has been met with significant criticism. The Iranian Artists' Association of Film and Theater Abroad was one of the organizations that issued a statement protesting this issue. The association stated: "In the list published by the media of the Islamic Republic, several female actors who appeared in public without a hijab in solidarity with the Women, Life, Freedom movement have been declared banned from work." Shabnam Farshadjou, one of these actors and spokesperson for the association, told Voice of America: "When I decided to remove the mandatory hijab, I thought about all the consequences, including passport confiscation, exit bans, entry bans, and being banned from acting. I was aware of the consequences of my actions and made this decision knowingly. The next day, I posted on social media saying goodbye to the world of acting in Iran." She added: "Certainly all the women who removed the mandatory hijab thought about the consequences of their decision, whether they were in Iran or abroad, after or before this movement; they certainly knew what consequences this decision would have and what they would face." According to Shabnam Farshadjou, she takes pride in the solidarity that has developed among female artists, and during this time, she regularly followed news related to Iran to see which other artists stood with them. Farshadjou further stated: "Given the recent events and the deaths of two of our dear artists, I realized that many women had to wear the hijab to attend the funeral. Those who did not attend the ceremony were certainly there in spirit, but because they chose not to wear the hijab, they were absent." This actress noted that these women decided to remove their hijab by choice and, despite being ostracized from the artistic community, stood on the right side. Farshadjou expressed her grievance towards male artists who do not stand with women, questioning whether this issue is not important to them and if they are indifferent. She expects men to also stand with women and support them, rather than only thinking of themselves and remaining silent. She remarked that unfortunately, only a few men reacted to this issue, saying: "It is painful and sad that many remained silent." Following the onset of nationwide protests in September 2022, several Iranian female artists criticized the mandatory hijab and called for its repeal. Some of these artists were arrested and imprisoned, and the government pressured them in various ways. The publication of a list of banned actors by Islamic Republic officials has faced protests from many artists and organizations such as the House of Cinema. Some of these actors reacted to the publication of this list. In the statement from the Iranian Artists' Association of Film and Theater Abroad, actors such as Katayoun Riahi, Pantea Bahram, Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, Golab Adineh, Hengameh Qaziani, Maryam Bobani, Baran Kowsari, and Taraneh Alidoosti are mentioned. It also refers to actors such as Pegah Ahangarani, Afsaneh Bayegan, Shabnam Farshadjou, Chokameh Chamanmah, and Shiva Ebrahimi, who left Iran due to government pressures.