Concert Banned In Iran Over Female Musicians' Presence On Stage

A concert of Iran's Alireza Ghorbani has been cancelled by Iranian officials in Esfahan, citing the presence of female musicians on stage, amid the regime's continued crackdown on women's rights.

"Bringing a female musician, according to the fatwa of the scholars, is not permissible if there is a possibility of corruption," claimed the Headquarters for Enjoining the Good and Forbidding the Evil in a statement.

The cancellation marks the second time Ghorbani's concert has been banned. On Monday evening, despite hundreds of ticket holders gathering at the venue, the event was halted by hardline forces preventing the artists from performing.

Expressing his frustration on Instagram on October 16, Ghorbani highlighted the "Herculean efforts" of his team to organize the concert, only to face permit denial.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, female vocalists have been prohibited from performing, while music concerts overall have encountered significant regulatory obstacles.

The lack of women's rights in Iran has drawn intense scrutiny following the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022. Amini's death while in morality police custody for a headscarf defiance sparked nationwide protests in Iran, with women and schoolgirls demonstrating unprecedented support for women's rights, posing a significant challenge to the Islamic government.