I’m Ashamed to Say What the Censor Said About Elnaz Shakerdoost and Niki Karimi

According to Khabaronline News Agency, Babak Sahraei, a well-known lyricist who was a guest of Mansour Zabetian on the “Satoor” program, spoke about his first encounter with censorship: “They objected to the phrase ‘no strength to fly’ in the song ‘The Moonlight Didn’t Come with the Night’ (released as ‘Co-Crier’ with Hami’s voice on Babak Bayat’s album: ‘Write on the skies, there’s no strength to fly anymore / In the eyes of dandelions, there’s no desire to arrive anymore’), calling it ‘blackening’ and ‘disturbing public opinion’! This song was rejected, and a line of text was written below it, stating ‘disturbing public opinion’ among other things; a phrase I had heard about other issues since childhood and adolescence!”

“I couldn’t believe I was someone who could disturb public opinion!”

He added: “This issue created a strange mental challenge for me at the age of 22. That song had a social undertone. I was a young man who had lived through the first term of Mohammad Khatami’s presidency in the year eighty (1380 SH, 2001-2002) and was a computer engineering student. At that time, there was a student atmosphere and artistic enthusiasm, with social and political perspectives of that era, but it was strange for me that these objections were raised especially during that period.”

The lyricist, stating that the song was eventually sung, continued: “We played a trick; we held a meeting once, and I went to explain, and I saw that things got worse. The members of the poetry council were not there; it was another section, and I don’t remember their names. The trick I used was to submit this song again along with other works to the music office. This time, they found no fault and issued the license!”

Sahraei recalled: “At that time, obtaining a song license was different; the lyricist himself could take the song to the music office. Later, a law was enacted stating that songs had to be submitted by companies. Because back then, many songs were submitted and licensed but never performed. Anyway, I was very worried and felt like I was doing something illegal and forging. Because the previous time, I had been accused of disturbing public opinion, and I had concerns about that, and I told myself, ‘they haven’t noticed now, and they’ve given permission.'”

Mirza Kuchak Khan Helped the Work Get Licensed

He stated: “I’ve done many such things. I had a song titled ‘The Rebel of My Village,’ which also had some social undertones and was rejected by the music office. I remember that the next time I wanted to submit the song, I wrote ‘Dedicated to Mirza Kuchak Khan-e Jangali’ at the top, and it got licensed! First, I wanted to write ‘Dedicated to Sattar Khan,’ but then I saw that he was associated with the Constitutional Revolution, and there were two views about him, so I dedicated it to Mirza Kuchak Khan.”

They Said to Dedicate the Album to Iraq and Afghanistan to Get a License

Sahraei continued: “We worked on an album with a singer named Farjam, most of its lyrics were written by me. He had a close friendship with Babak Bayat, and Babak gifted him a melody for my song titled ‘Scheherazade the Storyteller.’ I also had a song named ‘Scream of Regret’ on that album, which became the album’s title. The cover featured a design of someone screaming with their mouth crossed out. Due to this song, the entire album was halted, and they said, ‘first, you are blackening.’ I had written: ‘Cry if in the alley shadows, the fear of daggers looms / If the sky is still thirsty for a bird’s blood.’ There were also two middle couplets I had written: ‘Darkness behind us and an autumn squad ahead / All bridges broke, but we didn’t wake up / With sorrow and the scream of regret, we reached the end of the story / We are tired of breathing silently here.’ This song caused a lot of problems, and the entire project was stopped. The music was already recorded with a large orchestra. After much consultation, we received compassion and leniency, and they said to write on the album cover: ‘Dedicated to the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine.’ At that time, since America had attacked Iraq and Afghanistan, we dedicated the album to these countries.”

He clarified: “These matters were never formally announced in writing. Objections are written below the lyrics, but such issues are not documented. At that time, we held a meeting with the Director General of the Music Office, and he cooperated with us and resolved our problem… The agony of encountering censorship never goes away. In fact, the older you get, the more these interpretations bother you.”

The Approach to Supervising Works Does Not Change Under Any Government

Zabetian then asked, “When you review the process of these objections from the age of 22 until today, what changes do you see?” Sahraei emphasized: “I see no change. There is a structure, and anyone who enters that structure is forced to do these same things. The approach is consistent. Governments and policies change, but the approach to supervising artistic works does not change.”

We Often See Personal Interpretations in Censorship

In response to whether this ideological or conservative approach stems from fear that those individuals might lose their positions and jobs, he explained: “Most of the time, I see personal interpretation and malice. I’ve come to this conclusion for years. When one person in a council rejects a work, and another person in the same council can grant you permission, it clearly indicates that this is not just about structure but personal use of the structure. For this reason, we have experienced in various periods that personal taste and malice play a more prominent role.”

Sahraei admitted: “In general, the process doesn’t change. It doesn’t matter who the president or the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance is, or what the policies are. These things always happen.”

They Said the Words Kiss, Cheek, and Embrace Must Be Removed

The host of the “Satoor” program then asked him if he had any instances where an objection to a word led to a strange interpretation that was amusing to him. Sahraei replied: “Yes. Last year, I staged a play and had two or three songs in it, and I had written the script myself. There was a song that Mohammadreza Eyvazi sang at the beginning of the play, with a couplet I had written: ‘Like rain kisses on a poppy’s cheek / Like a temple’s embrace for a lover’s vow / Like the calm of the shore for the sea’s restlessness / Like the joy of wounded soil for the dance of wild roses.’ First, they said the first couplet had to be changed, then they said it had to be removed. They said the words ‘kiss,’ ‘cheek,’ and ’embrace’ had to be changed. It was strange to me what was wrong with a temple’s embrace or being in God’s embrace. Even regarding the ‘dance of wild roses,’ I said maybe if the wind blows and the wild roses dance, that would be objectionable. But what was wrong with likening a temple to God’s embrace? We went and talked many times until it was resolved, and we were able to perform the work as it was.”

Zabetian asked if this objection was for theatrical performance or public release. Sahraei replied: “They graciously said it could be performed in theater because it has a smaller audience, and it should be changed for public release, but I didn’t change it for public release, and it was published.”

The Voice of Song and Art Has Never Created Uprising and Turmoil

The host of the “Satoor” program then asked if his voice and the voices of other lyricists were ever so loud that someone would fear them. Sahraei replied: “Never. In no historical period have artistic works been able to create turmoil or an uprising to the extent of causing systemic change. Art creates thought, approach, and perspective over time and cannot create instant turmoil and uprising. If we review the last hundred years in Iran and similar lands, art is not as dangerous to governments as rulers imagine. In fact, the approach of censorship and scrutiny is more detrimental to the rulers.”

He clarified: “Artists always reach strange creative heights under limitations, and that creativity creates more subtexts and inner layers in works, and if criticism is to occur, it is more detrimental to the government. Therefore, both in the years I have been active and in periods before me, through observation, I have realized that there has never been the intelligence to approach this aspect of art consciously.”

The lyricist stated: “For example, I heard from Mr. Shamaizadeh that one day in the radio council, regarding the song ‘The Swamp,’ he said, ‘When I submitted this song for a license, I was wearing short sleeves, and now I’m wearing a coat.’ There was an interpretation that said the poet considered the swamp a part of society, and the evolutionary path of this persona had an angle against the government. Or the song ‘Scarecrow,’ which was renamed ‘Doll.’ Ardalan Sarfaraz wrote in his book that he was arrested in the studio because of this song. Or the song ‘My Eyes, Come Help Me,’ which did not receive a license for one or two years. Dariush was supposed to perform this song, but then Googoosh took the song and got the license to perform it.”

They Said Your Song Is Misogynistic!

Zabetian asked if it was important at that time which singer submitted the song for a license, and if singers actually submitted songs. Sahraei replied: “Sometimes it was like that. Even now, within the existing oversight, there are individuals who have a more enlightened and cooperative view and solve some problems. For example, I have experienced it myself. In recent years, when Dr. Allahyari was the Director General of the Music Office, he greatly helped solve problems. For instance, I had a song that Siamak Abbasi had sung, and it was rejected. For the beginning of the song, I had said: ‘I had fought with myself my whole life / I had been afraid of every woman my whole life / I had seen no good from my own heart.’ They completely rejected this and said it was misogynistic! I said it was a love song and not misogynistic.”

I Said, ‘I Actually Like to Speak Casually with God!’

He added: “It was a positive love song with a bit of complaint. There was a positive interpretation of the beloved in this song. Mr. Allahyari solved the problem with this song. He declared that he saw no problem with it. There was another song that Babak Jahanbakhsh had sung, and they objected to two parts of it, and therefore the song was not allowed to be released. One couplet I had written was: ‘When the rain stops, take the moon from the branches / Entrust some of your body’s scent to the alley’s dusk.’ They said ‘body’s scent’ must be removed. I also had a couplet: ‘Night, with the love of seeing you, is a design of eagerness and hope / Now even God’s hands give the scent of frankincense and coffee.’ They said ‘God’s hands’ is not publishable at all, and I said, ‘I am that shepherd who encountered Prophet Moses, who says: “Where are you, so I may become your servant / Stitch your sandals, comb your hair.” I want to speak to God like that.’ Mr. Allahyari also solved this problem.”

He mentioned that Dr. Allahyari obtained a concert license for Hossein Zaman after many years, recalling: “Hossein Zaman was not allowed to work due to his unwavering stances. I had even worked on several songs with Hossein Zaman, which they said needed to be changed for concert performance. But there were always individuals who had a different perspective; a brighter, more cooperative view. Naturally, their number was small, but they exist.”

The Objection They Raised to Amir Abbas Golab’s Song

Sahraei, referring to his collaboration with Amir Abbas Golab on the song “Let’s Go to the Sea,” added: “We ran into a challenge over one couplet of this poem. I had written: ‘Stay in my arms till the end of the road, I won’t sell these moments for the world.’ They said this ‘stay in my arms’ had to be changed, especially since it’s ‘from beginning to end of the road’! Then I changed it and wrote: ‘Till the end of the road, I’m embraced by your dream.’ After that issue was resolved, the next couplet ran into trouble: ‘I hold your hands, the rain begins, I kiss your hair, the night becomes bright…’ They said: ‘Kissing hair’ absolutely… no, this cannot get a license at all!”

Sahraei, stating that over the years, the sensitivity towards love songs has somewhat decreased, emphasized: “If they think you are a person whose work might have certain specific meanings in its inner layers, then… they become a bit more precise. However, throughout all these periods, according to my own experience, songs that I thought would face problems got licensed without any issues. For example, the song ‘I Just Watch’ performed by Hami: ‘When a star blossoms in the red hand of the window, when night passes through the incident of rain and kiss…’ I thought this ‘kiss’ would be a problem, but they raised no objection. Or the song that Mani Rahnama sang titled ‘When Tomorrow Comes.’ Honestly, I never thought they would license it. I had written: ‘When tomorrow comes, experience life in your own way, this time you, instead of us, translate freedom…’ About a month after its release, a case was filed against us from elsewhere, but the music office itself and the music office’s security stood by us.”

He clarified: “One of the news agencies had published a note and presented a strange interpretation of this song. They had written that Babak Sahraei and Mani Rahnama said, ‘We made a revolution, we made a mistake, you shouldn’t!’ Well, I was born after the revolution! Farvardin 1358 (April 1979). Mani was also born in 1353 (1974); he had no role in the revolution at the age of five at all! What’s the connection? It was a very strange interpretation.”

The Confiscation Made Santouri More Visible

Sahraei, in response to Zabetian, who said that nothing happens with a song, a movie, or a play, and often banning it even helps it, clarified: “Yes, exactly. For example, the controversies surrounding the film ‘Santouri’ made it much more visible.”

He recalled, stating that he is the most prolific lyricist after the revolution: “About 1030 songs of mine have been performed. In the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, across various periods, there were people whose presence was truly constructive. For example, the late Moshfegh Kashani, the late Hossein Ahi, Mr. Esrafil, Mr. Beygi, Mr. Habibabadi… Their presence was a pleasure because they at least understood poetry. Or, for instance, Abdoljabbar Kakaei himself, during periods when he was active in the poetry section, was very influential. The late Bahmani was especially helpful when strange interpretations of poems occurred.”