海角大神

In Iran, no room for 'Happy'

Young Iranians who filmed a version of the viral hit 'Happy' were arrested, then released. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini once said, 'There is no fun in Islam.'

Their offense was to have too much fun.听

In Iran, social freedom聽has long been聽measured by the prevalence of male-female hand holding or how far back women push their headscarves.听So the聽six young men and women who danced together on rooftops, hair bouncing, in their version of the viral feel-good hit "Happy" were taking a risk.

A generation ago, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the father of Iran鈥檚 1979 Islamic revolution, laid down an uncompromising standard when he聽said that God 鈥渄id not create man so that he could have fun鈥� There is no humor in Islam. There is no fun in Islam.鈥澛�

The was also no music. Mr. Khomeini told Radio Iran to battle it 鈥渨ith all your might鈥� because there was 鈥渘o difference between music and opium.鈥�

The six dancers were arrested, and last night聽they were presented聽on Iranian television soon after their arrest, with their backs to the camera.听Tehran police chief Hossein Sajedinia said the video was 鈥渁 vulgar clip" which "hurt public chastity鈥澛燼nd warned Iranians against further 鈥渃orrupt鈥� acts.听

The arrest, which sparked a firestorm of international criticism on social media, came after President Hassan Rouhani called in a weekend speech for greater Internet freedom. Today, amid reports that the 鈥淗appy鈥� group had been released, Mr. Rouhani tweeted a quote from a speech of his last June: 鈥�#Happiness is our people鈥檚 right. We shouldn鈥檛 be too hard on behaviors caused by joy.鈥澛�

Waging a war

From the outside, Iran鈥檚 culture wars may appear banal and quibbling.听

But聽a coterie of聽fundamentalist聽officials聽see themselves as the guardians of the Islamic Republic鈥檚 cultural purity and warn against "cultural invasion" by the West.听With Pharrell Williams' hit video for "Happy" spawning copycats in 140 countries, it is not surprising Tehran's version, which garnered 165,000 hits even before the arrest, eventually prompted a heavy-handed response.

Producing such a video was always a risk in Iran, where strict rules govern women鈥檚 hair covering, forbid dancing in public, and limit public contact between unmarried men and women.

This is what Rouhani is up against as he tries to fulfill campaign promises of greater social freedom, which have so far seen limited progress, such as the聽opening up of music and media.听

鈥淲hy are we so shaky? Why have we cowered in a corner, grabbing onto a shield and wooden sword, lest we take a bullet in this聽culture war?鈥�聽he said this weekend, before the "Happy" arrests. 鈥淓ven if there is an onslaught, which there is, the way to face it is via modern means, not passive and cowardly methods.鈥澛�

Push and pull

Several other Iranian versions of 鈥淗appy鈥� have been produced, coinciding with a separate new Internet phenomenon, in which Iranian women post photographs of themselves outdoors but unseen, joyfully casting off their headscarves.听

Two weeks ago a protest聽was held in Tehran聽against the anti-headscarf campaign and a broader loosening of modesty standards as spring temperatures rise.听Fundamentalist protesters, including women wearing long black chadors, complained that those women were wearing 鈥渂ad hijab."聽

The arrest of the 鈥淗appy鈥� group could well backfire, spawning mockeries of the rules, such as anonymous postings of fun-less versions of 鈥淗appy鈥� in full Islamic covering.

In the TV broadcast after the arrest, the six stood with heads hung low as if forced into a confession, and said they were duped into making the video, claiming they thought they were taking part in an audition.

The Tehran police chief boasted that when the order came to arrest the six, his agents identified them within two hours 鈥撀爐heir names were prominently displayed on the video credits 鈥撀燼nd picked them up within six hours. No one聽mentioned the fact that the video had already been posted for weeks.听

The news website IranWire quoted聽one source saying,聽鈥淎ll of the young producers received phone calls informing them that a friend had suffered a car accident and required their help. When they arrived at the address they had been given over the phone, security forces were waiting to聽arrest them.鈥澛�

The source told IranWire聽yesterday聽that they would be released today if they posted a $10,000 bail and agreed not to speak to the media.