Arrest of Iranian actress: Even the silent are outraged

The actress Alidoosti had only recently publicly expressed solidarity with the protests in Iran. Many in the Iranian cultural scene are outraged that she was arrested. Even stars who have been very reserved so far are protesting publicly.

The allegations sound as protesters and opponents of the regime in Iran would expect: A pro-government news agency writes that Taraneh Alidoosti spread misinformation and supported counter-revolutionary circles. Iran’s judiciary news site reads: “Taraneh Alidoosti failed to provide evidence for some of her allegations. She was subsequently arrested.”

Colleagues Alidoostis are appalled. Even actor Mani Haghighi was outraged. So far he has tended to distance himself, above all staying out of politics. At film festivals in Germany, for example, he is repeatedly asked about the situation in Iran. That annoys him.

“The women have already decided that”

But now, after Alidoosti’s arrest, Haghighi speaks publicly, in a video on Instagram: “If you know Taraneh, you know that she always speaks out on social issues. She’s a smart woman! I hope that I can meet her see you soon.”

And then Haghighi even says something about the protests in the country – by saying nothing: “I won’t say anything about the headscarf. The women have already decided that.” Decided to rebel – at first only against being forced to wear a headscarf. But it has long since become a symbol of the protests in Iran after the death of 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini in mid-September.

Alidoosti only showed solidarity with the protesters later. One of the first was her fellow actor Hengameh Ghaziani, who appeared without a headscarf. Alidoosti didn’t do that until November. But possible anger among colleagues about it is a thing of the past.

Cultural industry is outraged

After Alidoosti’s arrest, pretty much everyone in the culture industry seems outraged: their colleagues Hediyeh Tehrani and Niki Karimi, for example, who Alidoosti has to a certain extent replaced as an Iranian superstar. The actress and director Karimi had already declared on social media before Alidoosti’s arrest that she had terminated her role and directing contracts.

After the arrest, she wrote: “Artists or non-artists, nobody should be locked up for their thoughts and ways of thinking. After months of intimidation, suffocation, anonymous calls, it’s enough. We’re tired. My generation has forgotten how to speak. We grew up with institutionalized fear. But now it’s enough, we’re fed up.”

Revolution celebrations are coming up

None of this bothers Iran’s culture minister. He has his eye on the celebrations for the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 in the first days of February – the time of theater and film festivals, of culture in Iran. He recently called on cultural workers to finally work for it. It is the formerly reticent Mani Haghighi who now replies to the minister: “We have no time for you to dance and celebrate. We worry about our friends in prison.”