Judicial Action Against the Cast of the Dariush Series; Reactions: From 'Disrespect to the Regime' with a Nod from Dowlatshahi to a Return to the Pahlavi Era

The announcement of judicial action against Sahar Dowlatshahi and the producers and distributors of the Dariush series due to a scene featuring the female actor's dance, which officials of the Islamic Republic deemed 'contrary to Islamic standards,' has received widespread attention and sparked reactions on social media. Some users humorously addressed the ineffectiveness of the presence of Pezeshkian in the extent of social and cultural freedoms, while others made jokes about the resemblance of Atash Taghipour, the actor opposite Sahar Dowlatshahi, to Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad and Khamenei's representative in Razavi Khorasan province. The judiciary news agency of the Islamic Republic announced that it has taken 'judicial action' against Sahar Dowlatshahi, the actor, as well as the producer and distributor of the series in connection with what has been labeled 'actions contrary to Islamic standards' in a scene from the 'Dariush' series. Although no further details were provided by this government media, the reference to 'actions contrary to Islamic standards' indicates a reaction to a scene from the 'Dariush' series that featured Sahar Dowlatshahi and received widespread backlash. Although Sahar Dowlatshahi's movements in this scene are limited to her head and hands and do not represent a complete dance, some users welcomed the display of joy. On the other hand, Azadeh Mokhtari, a journalist in Iran, wrote to government officials on social media platform X, stating: 'Believe me, if those movements are dancing in your world, in our world, those movements are just a simple hand gesture and even more like making faces.' One user sarcastically questioned how a few seconds of Sahar Dowlatshahi's head movement could 'violate public morality,' while another expressed curiosity about what was written in the video appendix for the judiciary. Another user pointed out the existence of 'multiple filters' for approving the broadcast of a series in the Islamic Republic's monitoring system, stating that Sahar Dowlatshahi 'did not do these things on her own' and that this issue does not relate to the actress. One user on X wrote: 'Sahar Dowlatshahi is an excuse; the real problem is the main dancer who resembles [Ahmad] Alamolhoda.' Another citizen, referring to the campaign slogans of Masoud Pezeshkian and his supporters about the impact of his presidency on the extent of social and cultural freedoms, sarcastically wrote: 'But if you hadn't voted for Pezeshkian, Sahar Dowlatshahi would have been executed by now.' In contrast, a user defending the Islamic Republic called for severe action against the cast of the Dariush series, stating that if 'we continue like this, pole dancing will also become normal in cinema, and we will return to the era of Persian films during the Pahlavi period.' Another user from the government reformist camp described the judiciary's actions against the Dariush series cast as 'disproportionate' and 'a source of disrespect to the regime and Islam and a smear campaign against the film,' asserting that this scene does not contain any 'unlawful act.' Another citizen responded to the 'corruption, prostitution, embezzlement, theft, and inefficiency' that has engulfed the 'entire structure' of the Islamic Republic, stating, 'Which regime is being disrespected?' and asked, 'What are you looking for? Be ashamed, feel ashamed of this oppression against the oppressed people of Iran.' Judicial actions against artists in Iran by the Islamic Republic's officials have been reported multiple times before. On Wednesday, September 21, Maryam Maqdami, a director and screenwriter, announced that government officials had confiscated her and her husband Behtash Sanaeiha's passports at the airport. The repeated confiscation of the passports of this filmmaker couple, who created the film 'My Favorite Cake,' occurred just days after their passports were released from confiscation. Additionally, see: The repeated confiscation of the passports of the creators of 'My Favorite Cake'; Maryam Maqdami to Pezeshkian: 'You are drowning society in a swamp of lies.' Maryam Maqdami reacted to the confiscation of her passport, addressing Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of the fourteenth government of the Islamic Republic, stating: 'It is clear to every intelligent Iranian that your companions are not the companions of this nation. Your principlist allies at least do not claim to be anything other than what they are and are not pretending to be better. You are not only not leading society towards growth and reform, but you are also drowning it in a swamp of lies.'