Six concerts in Turkey featuring exiled Iranian musician Mohsen Namjoo have been canceled following orders from high-ranking authorities citing “religious sensitivities,” according to the Oksijen news website.
Namjoo’s official Instagram account said five of the six shows had already sold out, with more than 16,000 people purchasing tickets, before the authorities intervened. “Despite overwhelming public demand — just as in 2022 — the concerts were canceled by order of senior officials on the grounds of religious sensitivities,” the statement said.
Apologizing to fans, including those who planned to travel from other cities and countries, Namjoo said he would instead perform a free live concert on his YouTube channel in the coming days.
This is not the first time Namjoo has faced restrictions in Turkey. His 2022 concert tour was also canceled due to campaigns led by conservative religious groups. At the time the Islamist organization Müdafaa-i İslam Hareketi (Defense of Islam Movement) and Mustafa Çopursuz, head of the Union of Religious Affairs and Foundations Employees (DİVA-SEN), a labor union representing staff of Turkey’s state-run religious authority and foundation institutions, urged authorities to block the performances.
In response to those cancellations, Namjoo released an open letter denying accusations that he had mocked Islam. “I am neither without religion nor without God. I have never ridiculed the Quran, which has always been a source of inspiration for me. I have not altered any of its verses. This is a serious and baseless accusation,” he wrote.
Often described as the “Bob Dylan of Iran,” Namjoo blends traditional Persian music with rock and jazz influences. His lyrics have drawn sharp criticism from religious authorities. In 2009 Iranian courts charged him with “insulting the Quran” after he incorporated verses into one of his songs. Facing the risk of imprisonment, he left Iran and has since lived in the United States.
Turkey, a majority-Muslim country that officially espouses secular governance, has in recent years witnessed the rising influence of religiously conservative groups over cultural events. Concerts, festivals and art shows have occasionally been canceled on the grounds of “religious values” or “public morality.”
Namjoo’s case highlights the continuing tension between artistic freedom and religious conservatism in both Iran and Turkey, where the artist’s work has drawn both fervent supporters and vocal opponents.
