Iran: Female Musicians Banned From Playing In Charity Concert in Qazvin
Published by Ali on May 28, 2019
Female musicians were banned from playing in a charity concert in Qazvin city. They were not allowed to even sit among the audience.
According to the state-run news agency, ILNA, one of the largest annual charity programs in Qazvin Province was staged on Thursday night, 22 May, 2019.
A traditional music band was supposed to perform at the auditorium of the Azad University of Qazvin. But on the order of the president of the Azad University of Qazvin, Moussa Khani, the female musicians of the band were prevented from entering the hall. The female musicians were not even allowed to sit among the audience and watch the concert. For this reason, many musicians left the auditorium in protest.
Ahmad Shokri, the organizer of the charity event said: “This group of the female musicians is the most respected traditional music group in Qazvin province who agreed to perform for the charity for free. But in the middle of the event, by the dean of Azad University of Qazvin, they were not allowed to perform on stage.”
Mr. Sokri added: “They were not even allowed to sit among the audience, and because of that many of the artists left the event in protest.”
In February 2019, a pop group was banned by Iran’s religious police after a female guitarist sang a 12 second solo at their concert in Tehran.
In another event on 17 May, 2019, a female singer by the name of Negar Moazzam was placed under surveillance by the Prosecutor’s Office of Isfahan Province for her solo singing during a sightseeing tour to the historical village of Abyaneh.
Since 1979 in Iran, women have been banned from singing in public and their performances have always been censored. Female singers were forced to stay home and many left the country.
