BAGHDAD — Singers, actors, sports stars – the list goes on. Iranian celebrities have been surprisingly public in their support for the massive anti-government protests sweeping their country. And the ruling establishment is striking back.
Celebrities have been the target of arrests, passports have been confiscated and other forms of harassment have been imposed.
Among the most notable cases is that of singer Shervin Hajipour, whose song “For…” has become an anthem for the protest movement that erupted on September 17 over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody following her arrest for failing to comply with the strict dress code of the Islamic Republic.
The song begins with a gentle melody, then Hajipour’s sonorous voice joins in: “For dancing in the streets,” “For the fear we feel when we kiss…” – and lists reasons young Iranians take to Twitter posted why they are taking to the streets against the ruling theocracy.
It ends with the much-sung slogan that has become synonymous with the protests: “For Women, Life, Freedom.”
The song was posted to his Instagram page and quickly went viral. Hajipour paid the price: the 25-year-old was arrested and held for several days before being released on bail on October 4.
Since the protests began – and escalated from anger over Amini’s death to a full challenge to the 43-year rule by conservative Islamic clerics – a range of celebrities have faced reprisals, from singers and soccer players to news anchors.
At least seven public figures in the country have been arrested, according to Iranian news outlets, most of whom have been released on bail and may face charges. Others were interrogated and released.
But their popularity has also made it difficult to crack down on them too – unlike protest activists, who security forces have arrested in large numbers. Iran has a vibrant scene of singers and actors as well as sports stars that are closely followed by the public.
Holly Dagres, an Iranian-American non-resident at the Atlantic Council, said the attempts to intimidate public figures came as no surprise.
“Celebrities – be they athletes, actors, singers or artists – have a large following in Iran, especially on social media, and their support gives life to these protests,” she said.
Your support has helped strengthen protesters who are grappling with widespread internet outages that are limiting their ability to make their voices heard and who are facing government crackdowns. Arrests were numerous, dozens died and many more were injured. Still, the protests have spread to dozens of cities, drawing broad sections of Iranian society from schoolgirls to oil workers.
One of Iran’s most popular Persian classical music singers, Homayoun Shajarian, projected a large photo of Amini on stage behind him as he sang the traditional song “Dawn Bird” during a tour in Australia in September.
The audience sang with him one of the song’s most iconic lines: “The tyrant’s oppression like a hunter has blown my nest away. God, sky, nature, bring the dawn to our dark night.”
When Shajarian returned to Iran, his passport and that of fellow actress Sahar Dolatshahi were confiscated at the airport. He later said on his Instagram account that they had been banned from the trip.
A football legend in Iran, Ali Daei, also had his passport confiscated at the airport on his return from abroad. He had called on the government on social media to “solve the problems of the Iranian people instead of using repression, violence and arrests”.
His passport was returned to him a few days later, he told the press.
Two prominent former soccer players, Hossein Mahini and Hamidreza Aliasgari, were arrested and released on bail. Mona Borzoui, a songwriter, and Mahmoud Shahriari, a former state television showman, were also arrested and face charges.
Iranian leaders blame foreign governments for fomenting the protests. Iran’s Deputy Interior Minister Majid Mirahmadi said celebrities in particular have played a “steering role” in the unrest.
Mirahmadi said celebrities who have supported the protests will be allowed to pay for their “erroneous actions”.
He denied any athletes had been arrested but said some had received “guidance”. He said Mahini, for example, was released and “gained a chance to right his mistakes,” according to the Mehr news agency.
Public figures were not deterred.
Amirhossein Esfandiar, a national volleyball player, re-released video of violent clashes between security forces and protesters, writing: “You have no sense of humanity, why are you beating and killing innocent people?”
Qasim Haddadifar, a veteran athlete and former soccer captain, posted photos of protesting girls and wrote in an Instagram story that he was proud of them.
Some players from the Persepolis FC soccer team reportedly wore black armbands during a Wednesday game in solidarity with the protest movement and were later summoned by security forces, Britain-based Iran International reported.
Actress Hediye Tehrani said Iranian security warned her about her posts to her nearly 1 million Instagram followers. Despite this, she continues to share images in support of the protests. “Millions of girls are now Mahsa Amini,” she wrote in a recent post.
Celebrities outside of Iran have also spoken out, from Dua Lipa and Shakira to fashion house Balenciaga. Taking to Instagram, Angelina Jolie posted a photo of a protester holding up a picture of Amini and wrote, “To the women of Iran, see you.”
The ruling establishment clearly sees danger in the reach of celebrities. Ali Saaedi Shahroudi, a former deputy to the Supreme Leader of the Revolutionary Guards, called for an organization that monitors the behavior of musicians, actors and sports stars, similar to institutions that regulate professional groups.
But the damage may already have been done.
Though Hajipour was forced to remove his song from Instagram, it continues to resonate, sung by everyone from Iranian schoolgirls to protesters in European capitals.
A campaign is underway to nominate the song for a Grammy in the Best Social Change Song category.
“While using #MahsaAmini might seem like keyboard activism, Iranians see the world’s attention is on them and they appreciate it,” Dagres said. “The solidarity encourages the protesters to continue defying batons and bullets to make a difference in their country. That gives them hope.”
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