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A group of teenage girls from Iran who posted a video of themselves dancing to Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ were reportedly detained and forced to apologize for their actions.
The girls were first given a warning and then detained for two days, during which time they were pressured into making a coerced confession.
The incident occurred after the video, filmed near Ekbatan, west of Tehran, went viral online. As the girls were not wearing headscarves, which are mandatory for women in Iran, they were targeted by security forces.
The Shahrak Ekbatan Twitter account, which reports on local news, confirmed that Iranian security agents were searching for the girls, and that an arrest and detention were likely.
According to Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari, the dance routine would be considered normal in most cities around the world, but in Iran, it is seen as an act of defiance.
“I wonder if @heisrema knows that his song #CalmDown is the backdrop of an incredibly courageous act of defiance by young Iranian women?” It started when 5 girls danced to his music in @shahrak_ekbatan- risking persecution by a regime that has murdered women for simply protesting,” tweeted Nahayat Tizhoosh, another journalist.
In response to the incident, Rema used Twitter to express his inspiration from the girls and other Iranian women who are fighting for a better future.
He tweeted, “To all the beautiful women who are fighting for a better world, I’m inspired by you, I sing for you, and I dream with you.”
Source: LagosReporters | Read More
