#RIP, Mohammad Reza Shajarian — the voice of Free Iran

Mohammad Reza Shajarian, Iran’s greatest living musician and artist, died in Tehran on Thursday at the age of 80, sparking sadness and anger among his fellow Iranians, including millions scattered across the globe.

The classical singer and maestro was more than a cultural icon and hero; he was the voice and soul of generations of Iranians, old and young, who have known nothing but tragedy and suffering since the 1979 revolution.

Shajarian’s passing not only elicited a nationwide outpouring of grief but also protests against a regime that forbade Shajarian from appearing on state television and media after he lent his support to the 2009 Green Revolution, an uprising that challenged the fraudulent re-election that year of reactionary President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Shajarian, though at times wishing to avoid the appearance of being “political,” had nevertheless become a symbol of national resistance against a tyrannical and joyless regime.

Born in 1940 to a religious family in the conservative city of Mashhad, Shajarian displayed innate talent from an early age, and his rousing vocals and traditional style of singing allowed him to thrive even under the Islamic Republic’s prohibitions on all non-classical music and instruments. He was particularly known for his Rabadan, a prayer song that marked the Iftar, the evening meal breaking the Muslim fast during the holy month of Ramadan.

Initially a supporter of the 1979 revolution that overthrew the last shah, Shajarian was viewed by Iranian authorities as sufficiently trustworthy because of his traditional Iranian artistry and subdued politics. That is, until he criticized the regime for its brutal suppression of the 2009 uprising.

He was particularly incensed by Ahmadinejad’s labeling of millions of peaceful protesters as “dust and trash” and demanded that the state media refrain from broadcasting his voice during the crackdown.

Because of his criticism, Shajarian was permanently forbidden by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from national television and could only perform for compatriots outside of his homeland.

Yet his allure only grew as Iranians recognized him as their country’s greatest living artist and a national treasure equal to famed Iranian poets, such as Hafez and Ferdosi.

Shajarian was forced into political silence, but his voice remained an inspiration for millions of regime opponents seeking to rid themselves of the darkness enveloping their ancient land.

Since 2009, Iran has experienced two other major uprisings, including the 2019 revolt in which the regime slaughtered more than 1,500 citizens. Thousands of political prisoners remain jailed while dozens were sentenced to execution.

Navid Afkari, a young and promising wrestling champion, was the latest innocent executed to terrify the population into submission. Shajarian’s oppression and Afkari’s death are the work of a regime willing to sacrifice Iran’s national heroes for the sake of absolute power.

Yet nothing will quiet the voice of freedom in Iran. Thousands gathered at Shajarian’s hospital and broke out in song as his death was announced by his son Homayoun, himself an accomplished musician. He asked that his countrymen not make his father’s death a “political” event, yet everything is political under a totalitarian regime that demands obeisance in all matters.

It is no surprise that Shajarian’s death led Iranians to shame the state media for repressing Shajarian’s voice for so many years. Regime security forces flooded Tehran’s streets and beat mourners mercilessly.

Shajarian will be buried in the city of Tus alongside Ferdosi, who has lain there for a millennium. The singer will forever be known as an astounding and exemplary musical artist and a symbol of Iran’s ancient culture and civilization, which the Islamic Republic has tried to repress since the revolution.

But Shajarian will also be remembered as a symbol of the eternal human yearning for freedom and dignity. As his mourners shouted in Tehran’s streets, “the dictator [Khamenei] will die — Shajarian lives forever.”

Alireza Nader is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where he contributes to FDD’s Iran Program.

Twitter: @AlirezaNader