In Iran and beyond, arrests of singers and dancers show how music can be a powerful tool of resistance

By Farnush Ghadery, Senior Lecturer in Law, London South Bank University

Iranian women are prohibited from singing and dancing in public. Yet many are posting videos on social media dancing and singing along to singer Mehdi Yarrahi’s song Roosarito (Your Veil). The wave of videos comes after Yarrahi’s August 28 arrest. The Islamic Republic of Iran deemed the song “illegal and inconsistent with the ethical and societal norms of the Islamic community”.

Roosarito is one of many anthems that have formed the soundtrack to the Woman,…

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