Yeah, you heard it here first: The music of Queen will bring democracy to Iran. After years of being one of the country’s most popular underground bootlegs, the government of Iran, which strictly censors western music, has allowed for the sales of Queen albums in the country. Much of the reason for Queen’s popularity in Iran and the eventual relaxing of their forbidden status has much to do with Freddie Mercury’s Zoroastrian upbringing and Iranian ancestry.
The young Farrokh Bulsara was born in Zanzibar to Parsi parents. The Parsis are a group of Zoroastrians from Iran that predominately migrated to India once religious persecution from Muslims began. Freddie attended school near Bombay in India, and eventually lived his life in England after his family fled from Zanzibar in the 60s.
Expect this statue erected in Tehran upon the success of the revolution.
Of course the ironic fact of Iran allowing the sales of Queen albums is that a government trying to stifle the decadence of western civilization by preventing their countrymen from its exposure allow the sales of albums from one of history’s most decadent bands. This brings to realization a not so well known fact: Iranians love to party.
Away from the prying eyes in the streets a thriving counterculture exists behind closed doors. Burkas fall to the floor and gorgeous, olive-skinned women emerge while drugs and liquor are plentiful. Iranians party as hard as any American, maybe even a little harder since they party in protest.
And it’s not about the partying, it’s about having the right to party or make your life how you see fit. Evident in the Green Revolution where thousands of protesters emerged from closed doors and took to the streets to tell the government the time had come for their voices to be heard. Unfortunately a fearful and paranoid Iranian government retaliated in truly godless, deplorable ways (These accounts are extremely graphic: Iranian Imam – Islam allows torture, raping prisoners, another account of Iranian prison tactics, a CNN video about Neda Agha Soltan).
A government can only stifle its people for so long. Someday the Green Revolution will overtake the Ayatollah and I have a feeling Queen may be the soundtrack to the revolution. Don’t think it such a ridiculous theory. 20 years ago the Berlin Wall fell, and David Hasselhoff, of all people, provided the soundtrack. Whoever provides the soundtrack I wish the most success for the people of Iran to have the opportunities and freedom to live their lives without oppression.