A group of young Iranians have been arrested for dancing in a YouTube clip set to Pharrell Williams’ Happy.
As in the singer’s original video, the Iranian fan version features a series of young men and women dancing to the hit song in a variety of settings.
The six young men and women were reportedly arrested on Tuesday under deceptive — and seemingly mysterious — circumstances. IranWire reports:
All of the young producers received phone calls informing them that a friend had suffered a car accident and required their help. When they arrived at the address they had been given over the phone, security forces were waiting to arrest them. Security forces have also allegedly threatened the families of those arrested that if they speak to any media about the detention, their children will not be released.
The video, filmed on the streets of Tehran, was one of the many videos created by fans of the song across the world in response to the catchy tune about the universality of joy.
Happy featured in children’s film Despicable Me 2 and was nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards earlier this year.
Pharrell himself also posted a link on his Twitter to a story about the arrests, saying, “It’s beyond sad these kids were arrested for trying to spread happiness.”
While the arrested youths were released overnight after a Twitter campaign with the hashtag #FreeHappyIranians, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said the director of the video was not released.
Some more photos of the group…
Top Comments
They are being punished because refusal to wear the hijab in Iran is punishable by a fine, lashes or a short jail sentence. Wearing the hijab has been compulsory in Iran since 1979.
Tehran's police chief Hossein Sajedina said "after a vulgar clip which hurt public chastity was released in cyberspace, police decided to identify those involved in making that clip. Following a series of intelligence and police operation and after coordinating with the with judiciary, all the suspects were identified and arrested".
Islam denies people their human rights. There is not freedom of speech, there is not freedom of expression, there is not freedom of sexuality, there is not freedom of religion.
People can't even make a make a video clip and dance around and be happy!!
http://www.imranhosein.org/...
This Islamic website explains how islam opposes singing, and music. it encourages cross gender mixing!!!!
Islam does not deny people their human rights. Some people use Islam as an excuse to vilify or oppress others, just as has been done with Christianity and many other religions over the centuries.
Amy please go to any country under sharia law and tell the inhabitants who are being killed for being gay, or killed for being apostates, or being fined, lashed or given jail sentences for not wearing the hijab, that islam is not denying them their human rights,
Dear Guest, please visit Russia where the same thing is being done under the name of Christian religion. Or India where some Sikh's use the guise of religion to oppress women. Or perhaps even Africa/Asia/anywhere else in the world where religion exists but is used and twisted to support the cultural/political means.