Abdolreza Kahani: “We are Born Into Censorship”
In Iran, the Ministry of Guidance and Islamic Culture imposes a strict process of review and approval for all screenplays before films can be legally ...
ART, CULTURE, SOCIETY
June 6, 2019
Nazanin Boniadi: “Silence is Not an Option”
As a girl visiting her birth country of Iran, British actress Nazanin Boniadi got a taste of the severely restricted rights women there live with on a daily basis. That experience inspired her to ...
May 28, 2019
Khosrow Semnani: Iran Funds Repression “Through Corruption by Design”
The Iranian-American engineer, businessman, and philanthropist Khosrow Semnani made a name in foreign policy circles in both Washington and Tehran in 2013 after he published a comprehensive ...
May 13, 2019
Interview With Literary Figure Alireza Behnam on Censorship
“Authors have learned that they cannot write about things that are against the country’s official religion, or against national security, or anything that promotes ...
April 30, 2019
Banned Works at Tehran Book Fair Highlight Iran’s Corrosive Censorship Policies
“People Lack Buying Power, Writers Lack Inspiration,” Says Novelist Several books by dissident authors in Iran were banned from the 32nd Tehran International Book ...
April 19, 2019
Iranian Actress Asks Minister Why She Was Pulled from Film Set Based on “Order from Above”
Iranian actress Maryam Moghaddam (also referred to as Moqadam), has written an open letter to Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Abbas ...
February 22, 2019
Concert Cancellations Continue in Mashhad Due to Intolerance by Religious Conservatives
A concert by the popular Persian pop band Hoorosh was canceled by judicial order an hour ...
February 4, 2019
Tehran Art Exhibition Showcases Works by Acid Attack Survivors
Victims Face Social Stigma and Inadequate State Laws and Services “How many more victims should acid take until it’s banned, or its ...
January 11, 2019
Famed Iranian Playwright Mohammad Rahmanian Charged for Allegedly Featuring Female Soloist
Complaint Brought by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Prominent Iranian theater director and playwright Mohammad Rahmanian has been charged with “propaganda against the state” based ...
November 29, 2018
Death of Satirist Alireza Rezaei in Exile Prompts Outpouring of Grief from Iranians Forced by State Repression to Flee Iran
Beloved Blogger Broke Taboos by Writing About Political and Social Issues with Humor November 29, 2018—The death in exile of ...
June 22, 2018
Open Letter: Distinguished Iranian Women Call on FIFA to Demand Iran End Its Ban on Women in Stadiums
June 22, 2018—In an open letter, prominent women of Iranian origin including Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi, Oscar-nominated actress Shohreh Aghdashloo and legendary singer ...
June 11, 2018
Let Her Sing: Female Vocalist Struggles to Perform in Islamic Republic of Iran
Sepideh Jandaghi is a professional singer who's unable to perform solo in Iran because she's a woman. The Islamic Republic's laws and customs also ...
June 1, 2018
Iranian Celebrities Shun President Rouhani’s Ramadan Dinner Invitation
Several Iranian celebrities publicly turned down President Hassan Rouhani’s invitation to attend a Ramadan “iftar” dinner scheduled for May ...
May 14, 2018
10 Things Everybody Should Know About Interacting With People Living With Disabilities
There's a new and growing conversation about disability rights in Iran. Here are 10 ways we can treat people with disabilities as equals and with respect. We all have ...
December 8, 2017
Iran’s Culture Minister Says He’s Trying to “Transform” Conservative Clerics’ Views on Music
Before musicians can perform concerts in Iran without the threat of the authorities suddenly canceling them, someone has to convince conservative ...
August 23, 2017
Cartoon 172: Authors in Iran
Iranian cartoonist Touka Neyastani depicts the life of authors in Iran, struggling to publish their works amid strict censorship laws....
June 20, 2017
Beyond the Ban: Exhibition Spotlights Major Iranian-American Artists
Works by prominent Iranian-American artists were showcased to a packed house on June 14, the opening night of the ...
December 8, 2016
Briefing: Iran’s Fashion Industry is the Latest Victim of Khamenei’s War on Western Culture
December 24, 2015
Popular Iranian Poet Arrested for Third Time amidst Hardline Crackdown against Artistic Community
The well-known Iranian poet Mohamadreza Haj Rostambegloo was released on bail from Karaj’s Central Prison last week, following his third arrest by the authorities in Iran ...
January 13, 2014
Authorities Close Cultural Events in Tehran Despite Rouhani’s Recent Support of Artists
Over the past few days, Iranian authorities have inexplicably delayed and cancelled two cultural events in Tehran. The first was a well-publicized group exhibition of paintings commemorating the birthday of the beloved female poet, Forough Farrokhzad, scheduled to open in Tehran’s Vista Gallery on Friday, ...
December 16, 2013
Iranian Artists Launch Online Petition to Minister of Culture Denouncing Crackdown
In a letter addressed to Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati, a group of Iranian musicians, music principals, and supporters have asked him to end the suppression of musicians and music professionals and to ensure that artists are not imprisoned for producing ...
March 22, 2010
45 Iranian Artists Demand Release of Filmmakers: Is Ill-Treatment, Coercion, and Imprisonment the Only Way?
More than 45 famous Iranian filmmakers, actors, and authors have demanded the releases of Mohammad Nourizad and Jafar Panahi. In their letter they state: “We, the undersigned, support the rights of all filmmakers who are able to make films now and in the future, and ...
July 20, 2009
Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureates, Iranian Poets and Artists Support July 25th Global Day of Action
“We deplore the violence and crackdown on peaceful protesters, the increasing restrictions on civil liberties, and the imprisonment of a growing number of civil leaders in Iran. ” Archbishop Destmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate, 1984 “If one country sincerely wants to support democracy in another ...