Release of the Protest Song 'Bi-Bateha'; Mehdi Shahnaazi: We Will Soon Be Free from the Tyrant of Our Time

Mehdi Shahnaazi, an Iranian singer, actor, and voice actor residing in Germany, released a new song titled 'Bi-Bateha' on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death while in custody of the morality police, in support of the nationwide protests in Iran. This work criticizes the violent repression of protesters by government forces and reflects the message of the Iranian freedom movement with the slogan 'Women, Life, Freedom.' Shahnaazi not only performed the song but also wrote the lyrics, with music composition and arrangement by Vahab Safaei. He told Voice of America, 'This song took shape in my mind about a year and a half ago. During this time, we witnessed many bitter and unfortunate events in Iran, and for that reason, I had to change it repeatedly until it was finally released in its current form.' He added, 'In the past year, all our lives have changed. When I follow the news from Iran, even though I am far from my homeland, I weep like a spring cloud and empathize with the people; I am an Iranian who is outside of Iran.' According to this Iranian artist, he wrote every word of this song with heart and soul, and it is an emotional and sentimental project for him. Shahnaazi states, 'There is not much we can do as expatriate Iranians, but we do our best to be the voice of Iranians inside the country and to convey their cries for freedom to the world.' He refers to part of the lyrics: 'Frozen songs, hopeless dolls, forty years have become our share, black and white turban.' In part of the song, Shahnaazi quotes Hadith Najafi, saying: 'Until we rise ourselves, nothing will get better; the departure of these bi-bateha will not happen without chaos.' This singer emphasizes that he and Iranians abroad will always be the voice of their compatriots inside Iran under any circumstances, stating that this is a permanent and constant support, and they are fulfilling their human and patriotic duty. Shahnaazi expresses his wishes for success, health, and victory for his dear compatriots who are fighting against this regime in the streets of Iran. He is confident that dawn and victory are near, and we will soon be free from the tyrant of our time, this despicable dictator. He thanks everyone who participated in the production of this work, including Bardia Bahram, the director of the 'Bi-Bateha' music video, who had great enthusiasm for this protest project.