TEHRAN: An Iranian female singer, Parastoo Ahmadi, is facing legal action after performing an online concert without a hijab, defying Iran’s strict Islamic dress codes.
The judiciary announced on Thursday that the live-streamed concert, held at a historic caravanserai, was “unauthorized” and violated the country’s legal and cultural standards. Officials have filed a case against Ahmadi and her production team.
The concert, which took place on Wednesday night, quickly gained attention on Iranian social media, despite YouTube being restricted in the country. The performance amassed over 150,000 views within just 18 hours, with clips spreading widely online.
In her introduction to the concert, Iranian Singer Ahmadi said, “I am Parastoo; a girl who wants to sing for the people she loves… this is a right I could not forsake.”
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I am Parastoo, a girl who wants to sing for the people I love. This is a right I could not ignore; singing for the land I love passionately. Here, in this part of our beloved Iran, where history and our myths intertwine, hear my voice in this imaginary concert and imagine this beautiful homeland...
Ahmadi, born in 1997 in Nowshahr, northern Iran, is a graduate in directing from Sooreh University and had previously shared her piano covers and songs on Instagram. Her performance, in which she appeared without a hijab and bared her shoulders, challenged Iranian law, which prohibits women from singing solo or performing in public without a hijab.
