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In a country where joy itself has become an act of defiance, even children’s laughter at an amusement park can trigger a government manhunt.
What began as innocent entertainment during a religious celebration has transformed into the latest battleground between Iranian authorities determined to crush public happiness and citizens desperate for moments of normalcy amid crushing economic hardship and the specter of war.
The crime that has mobilized prosecutors and municipal officials across Fars Province? A young woman and several children dancing to Bollywood music last week at Bagh-e-Jannat amusement park in Shiraz, surrounded by cheering mothers.
Within 48 hours, the 38-second video had ignited a familiar cycle of state outrage. Government supporters flooded social media with denunciations of “vulgarity” and “desecration.”
Revolutionary prosecutors vowed punishment. Municipal officials scrambled to assign blame. The machinery of repression lurched into motion over what anywhere else would be considered childhood innocence.
“Manifestations of corruption have always been dealt with, and this case will be too,” Kamran Mirhaji, the provincial prosecutor, declared to the Tasnim news agency, treating giggling children as threats to the Islamic Republic.
The crackdown reflects the Islamic Republic’s longstanding hostility toward public displays of joy, particularly those involving women and children.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, authorities have consistently suppressed dancing, music, and other forms of entertainment deemed incompatible with their interpretation of Islamic law.
Shiraz Municipality quickly distanced itself from the event, blaming the private operator managing the amusement park.
Ali Dianati, the municipality’s spokesman, called the performance “illegal” and said organizers failed to obtain proper permits.
“Organizing this program was completely unauthorized,” Dianati said, adding that city management was “deeply affected that residents’ feelings had been hurt.”
The Mehr news agency blamed a “surveillance gap” by the city council for allowing what it called “norm-breaking” behavior to happen.
The Shiraz incident represents the latest in a series of crackdowns on dancing and public celebration in Iran.
These cases have become flashpoints in the broader struggle between authorities seeking to enforce strict social controls and citizens attempting to express joy despite economic hardship and political repression.
In 2014, six young Iranians were arrested for dancing on Tehran rooftops to Pharrell Williams’ song “Happy” as part of a global social media campaign.
The video, filmed with a phone, showed the participants dancing near air conditioning units in an attempt to show the world that Iranian youth experience moments of happiness despite difficulties.
“We wanted to show the world that Iranian youth, despite all the difficulties they face, also experience happy moments,” Neda, one of the dancers, later told IranWire.
More recently, authorities have targeted social media users.
In February 2024, two teenage girls were arrested after posting a TikTok dance video near a tomb. Government supporters accused them of “desecrating martyrs’ graves,” leading to their detention.
During the Woman Life Freedom protests, five young women who danced in Tehran’s Ekbatan neighborhood faced interrogation and warnings from security forces. International pressure ultimately prevented their prosecution.
Despite repeated crackdowns, dance has evolved into a symbol of resistance and resilience, particularly among Iranian women and girls who face multiple layers of discrimination under the Islamic Republic’s laws.
The legal basis for prosecuting dancers remains questionable, according to human rights lawyers.
Musa Barzin, a legal advisor to IranWire, said authorities typically invoke Article 638 of the Islamic Penal Code, which criminalizes “displaying forbidden acts in public places.”
However, Barzin added that dancing is not considered forbidden by many Islamic scholars, creating legal ambiguity.
“We have jurists who give opinions that dancing is not forbidden,” he said. “In all wedding ceremonies, people dance, that’s also in public.”
The lawyer argued that prosecuting organizers and participants violates legal principles requiring crimes to be clearly defined in law.
“What appears in Article 638 about forbidden acts is fundamentally legally incorrect and contrary to the principle of legality,” Barzin said.
He said even if dancing were considered religiously forbidden, the children in the Shiraz video were fully clothed, and the performance was innocuous.
“Most of them are children, and their clothing isn’t revealing either,” he said.
The controversy unfolds against a backdrop of severe economic hardship in Iran. International sanctions, inflation, and government mismanagement have left millions struggling to afford basic necessities.
“People are thirsty for joy,” said Parisa, a Shiraz resident who has seen the amusement park’s recent promotional activities.
“Our water and electricity situation is obvious. Many are stuck trying to provide dinner for their families. The shadow of war hangs over our heads, and then when we want to find some comfort and continue with life, they treat us this way.”
She added that amusement parks traditionally feature costumed characters and children’s entertainment.
“Where else can there be large costume dolls of cartoon characters and children’s dancing at an amusement park opening if not there?” she asked.
Some Iranians report that even law enforcement officials recognize the futility of suppressing widespread desires for entertainment and joy.
Elnaz, a Tehran resident who faced prosecution last year for dancing in the street, said police told her they only pursued her case because the video became public.
“They don’t want to be arrested either,” she said. “The police themselves know that if they want to arrest, they have to take half the people, and they’re not even religiously committed to it anymore.”
Elnaz suggested that authorities primarily respond to pressure from hard-line supporters rather than a genuine commitment to enforcement.
“Only in cases like this, where Basijis make a fuss, they pressure people to silence and shut them up,” she said, referring to volunteer militia members.
The Shiraz incident highlights the Islamic Republic’s struggle to maintain social control amid growing public dissatisfaction.
Videos of Iranians celebrating and dancing continue to emerge from across the country, suggesting widespread resistance to cultural restrictions.
The expressions of joy persist despite poverty, corruption, and the absence of civil and political freedoms, demonstrating what observers describe as remarkable resilience among ordinary Iranians.
