Yahoo Lifestyle Arghavan: Raising Her Voice
Arghavan. Photo: Supplied
If Iranian-Swedish singer Arghavan was to perform in her native Iran, chances are she would end up behind bars. For the past 30 years, women have been banned from performing solo in public in Iran. The country’s restrictions on women’s rights – permanent contraception is illegal in Iran and the wearing of the full hijab is compulsory – is what has prompted this pop singer to use her fame as a platform for highlighting the plight of women in her homeland.
Arghavan, who fled Iran for Sweden with her family when she was three, found fame in Iran after starring on TV show Googoosh Music Academy (an Iranian version of The X Factor) in 2010. The show, which is banned in Iran, is shot in London and beamed to the Middle Eastern country, where it is picked up by specially rigged satellite dishes. After appearing on the show, Arghavan received thousands of emails from women in Iran who saw her as a symbol of resistance as she performed freely in public. This knowledge is what spurs Arghavan on as she goes about educating those outside of Iran about the struggles of her countrywomen.
MC: Why did you leave Iran?
A: It was during the aftermath of the [1979] revolution. We had to escape because my father was a poet and writer. When I was growing up, I always knew why we had to leave: it was about freedom of speech. And the fight for this was something I wanted to be a part of when I was older.
MC: When was your epiphany when it came to advocacy?
A: Every time I put my make-up on in the show I had tears in my eyes, as there were girls that were dreaming of my freedom, the freedom to be onstage in Iran. After [the show], I decided to put all my efforts into fighting for them.
MC: You recently went back to Iran for the first time in 15 years. What was that like?
A: I went back as part of my documentary [which aired on Chime for Change, Gucci’s video portal]. People know all about the bad things that are happening there, but they don’t see the amazing women. I wanted to see some of those women and hear their stories. Like my friend – she is a photographer and furniture designer. She was one of the girls in the “Happy in Tehran” video [featuring young Iranians dancing to Pharrell Williams’s “Happy”, which went viral. Its participants were later sentenced to 91 lashes]. But she continues her art [despite this], and I admire that so much.
MC: What’s been the highlight of your journey so far?
A: Becoming a UN Ambassador for Women in Sweden was a big highlight. If I can inspire others that would be fantastic.
MC: What is your hope for the future of Iranian women?
A: I hope that they are never limited when it comes to being an artist and, most importantly, a woman. If I couldn’t sing or fulfil my dreams, I know how that would make me feel.
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