Silencing Women at Concerts in Tehran

The prohibition of female musicians or singers on stage in Iran is not new, but it has intensified in recent months and weeks. This restriction had previously been observed in smaller cities, but it has now extended to Tehran as well. In the latest instance, the microphones of female singers at a concert in Vahdat Hall were cut off. According to the newspaper Shargh, citing one of the attendees at the closing ceremony of the Student Production Festival held on February 15, the microphones of the female singers of the Academy of Art Orchestra, affiliated with the University of Applied Science and Technology, were cut off during the performance. Amin Salami, the conductor of the orchestra, stated: 'Our group had one male singer and two female singers. This has never been a problem, and we acted according to the law while adhering to societal regulations. Apparently, before the performance, an unidentified individual requested the microphones of the female singers to be cut off. After the performance, the audience reported that the voices of the female singers were not broadcast through the microphones, and after our inquiries, we discovered that their voices were only played through the speakers placed on stage.' Mr. Salami also mentioned the individuals responsible for this action: 'When I went to investigate this issue with the sound engineer, he said that before the performance, individuals with walkie-talkies instructed him to cut off the female singers' microphones, and despite my insistence on who these individuals were, he did not provide a clear answer. No one has been held accountable for the issue so far.' The conductor of the Academy of Art expressed his disappointment, saying: 'The audience who noticed the cutting off of the female singers' microphones said that the women in our group played a decorative role on stage, and I am upset that such treatment has been directed towards our female musicians. This was done without my knowledge and without me knowing the reason, and the character of the two female singers has been called into question. Of course, my criticism is personal, and I speak on my own behalf. I was present in the hall for the group's rehearsal from 11 AM to 3:30 PM before the ceremony, and I believe there was ample opportunity to inform me about this issue.' The prohibition of female musicians in Isfahan occurred one day prior to this incident, on February 26, during a concert by Homayoun Shajarian and the Pournaseri brothers, where a group attempted to prevent the performance due to the presence of three female musicians on stage. Following this incident, Mohammad Qotbi, the director of the Cultural and Islamic Guidance Office in Isfahan, issued a detailed statement regarding the controversies surrounding Homayoun Shajarian's concert, stating: 'Homayoun Shajarian's performance, which was explicitly supported by the governor, was a sign of the power of Iranian singing and local music, a performance that complied with the laws of the country and respected boundaries and sanctities. Those who object either do not know the law or consider themselves above it.' The restrictions on the presence of women on stage continued at the Fajr Music Festival. Renowned vocalist and musician Pari Maleki refrained from participating in a concert on February 13 with the group 'Khenya' due to these threats. Mansour Maleki, Pari Maleki's husband, explained to Shargh: 'Following the controversies surrounding the singing or solo performance of the album 'I Love You, O Ancient Land,' those involved in music were concerned, and festival officials were threatened that there would be no female singers at the festival. This was while the festival schedule had already been published and announced.' Mansour Maleki also stated: 'In addition to performing at Shams Hall, Ms. Maleki was scheduled to perform in Karaj on February 14, but one of the festival officials contacted her and mentioned that if Pari Maleki agreed, there would be no female singers at the concert, and considering the potential disruption to the festival's order, she accepted the suggestion.' According to ISNA, Pirouz Arjmand, the director of the Music Office of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, explained: 'The music group 'Khenya' has two female singers and two male singers, and their activities do not have any problems, but after consulting on the night of the performance, we concluded that the performance should go on stage in this manner, and in fact, this was done with the group's agreement.' Mr. Arjmand commented on the current conditions of women's presence on stage: 'Unfortunately, the publication of incorrect news, which was essentially a form of journalistic misconduct, has impacted the situation. In our music office, instead of addressing more important issues, we are always responding to clarify that we have not made any mistakes.' The director of the Music Office noted that numerous reviews were conducted prior to the release of the album 'I Love You, O Ancient Land,' and the clarity and transparency of the female singer's voice were removed from it. He further stated: 'During this time, we re-evaluated works that were released under the title of female singing in the previous government and found that at that time, in some works, the female singer's voice was even louder than the male singers, and I can say that in those works, the ratio of the female singer's voice to the male singer's voice was 80 to 20.' Cultural and political officials of the Islamic Republic typically only discuss the covering of women's voices with male voices and their compliance with the country's laws, and they have not yet made a clear and explicit defense of women's rights to perform in singing.