June, 2026 -- On June 19, an Iranian
court handed down a sentence of 74 lashes for Iranian singer-songwriter
Parastoo Ahmadi's performance outside of a hijab. Her bandmates and
producer received the same sentence.
Outside
Counsel and National Music Council Chair Charlie Sanders recently wrote
a piece speaking out against the violent sentencing. His piece follows.
But first, a note from the SGA.
The Songwriters Guild of America
stands in full solidarity with the National Music Council regarding the
ongoing violation of human rights suffered by artists, musicians and
poets in Iran and around the world. But we also wish to make it clear
that we post this statement with clear eyes: the United States has
recently engaged in acts of war against Iran and we do not set that
aside. The Guild does not conflate governments with their people, nor
with their artists. Iranian songwriters, musicians and poets have for
years faced arrest, torture, forced confession and enforced silence —
not for bearing arms, but for bearing witness through their art. The
persecution of creative voices is a human rights crisis that exists
independent of military conflict and demands its own condemnation. The
Songwriters Guild of America calls on all parties — including our own
government — to recognize artists as human rights defenders and to cease
all actions, military or governmental, that endanger civilian life and
the freedom of creative expression.
Now on to Charlie's powerfully-written piece:
Charlie Sanders
SGA Outside Counsel
The National Music Council of the United States (NMC), which I proudly
chair, continues to monitor developments in the case of the female
Iranian singing star Parastoo Ahmadi who was sentenced this week by
Tehran to a public whipping for appearing in a video in "immodest
attire" (i.e. without a head scarf and with bare arms and shoulders).
The song she sang, perversely, expressed her love for her nation of
Iran. It did not matter. The ruling parties have determined that a
message needs to be sent, and that the lashing of a celebrated performer
is what is called for.
The singling out of popular musical artists and poets for punishment by
governmental regimes has a very long history, for two simple reasons:
First, it presents despots across the political spectrum with the golden
opportunity to demonstrate their alleged willingness to attack anyone
at any time, a statement to "the people" that "if this is what we'll do
to them, imagine what we'll do to you."
And second, it is intended to
cow and often to eliminate through intimidation and fear the most
dangerous, effective opposition any would-be dictator is ever likely to
face: a country's own artistic creators.
There are reasons why Gen. Augusto Pinochet of
Chile chose as the first victims of his murderous junta the
singer-songwriter Victor Jara (executed in the national soccer stadium
after having his hands mutilated) and world renown poet Pablo Neruda (an
outspoken critic of military dictatorships). There are reasons why Pol
Pot and the Khmer Rouge set upon and murdered nearly every musician and
poet in Cambodia, and why both Shostakovich and Pussy Riot were
respectively brutalized by the purveyors of Soviet and Russian
oppression. And there is a reason why Billie Holiday was hounded to her
death right here at home.
NMC takes no political position on these matters
other than this: protecting the value to global culture of musicians,
songwriters, composers, poets and other creators by shielding them
insofar as possible from violent repression is paramount to our mission.
Shining a light on such incidents --so that acts of violent
intimidation cannot be carried out in the shadows-- is the role of any
organization dedicated to furthering the advancement of art, artists,
and the more humane world we are all seeking to build.
And so we shall.
For a longer explanation of the history of global artistic repression in the realm of music, visit the
NMC website and read the expose I wrote in 2023 on this crucial topic.
