More Stories
Iran has charged comedian Zeinab Mousavi over her satire of Ferdowsi, the 10th-century Persian poet behind the epic Shahnameh, using the controversy to stir patriotism after the war with Israel.
Iran has charged a comedian over a satirical sketch mocking Ferdowsi, the 10th-century poet behind the epic Shahnameh, after the performance provoked uproar across society.
The sketch, which recited verses of the Shahnameh with irreverent commentary, drew condemnation online and from prominent cultural figures who called it an insult to Iran’s heritage.
The Shahnameh, chronicling Iran’s mythical past and heroic kings, is widely regarded as a cornerstone of national identity.
The comedian at the center of the storm, Zeinab Mousavi—known by her stage name Empress Kuzcooo—said she had not intended for the recording to circulate.
But prosecutors accused her of producing “offensive content”, framing it as an insult to Ferdowsi and a provocation to public sentiment.
‘Symbol of noble land’
The move appears aimed at rallying patriotic sentiment in the aftermath of the June war with Israel—underscored by interventions from hardline corners not usually associated with nationalist discourse.
Tasnim, a news agency affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, cast the affair in those terms.
“Hostility toward Iran is one of the round-the-clock activities of Zionists and their agents. Just as the brave Iranian people defended the country against attacks from the United States and Israel, they will also defend the symbols of this noble land.”
Mousavi told Rouydad24 that the YouTube program scheduled to air the sketch had promised to cut the segments, and she was unaware of their circulation on social media.
“Comedy has no boundaries,” she said. “I have harmed no one.” She did not issue an apology.
Clerics vs Ferdowsi
Some hardline Shia clerics have long viewed Ferdowsi with disdain over the Shahnameh’s anti-Arab verses and his praise for pre-Islamic monarchy.
Under their influence, murals depicting scenes from the epic were removed from Mashhad, and a statue of Ferdowsi was blocked from installation at Ferdowsi University.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, however, has downplayed these objections, presenting Ferdowsi as a devout Shia and framing the Shahnameh as consistent with Islamic thought.
Critics call the state’s current posture opportunistic.
“Until yesterday they were erasing Shahnameh murals,” wrote one user, Soroush. “Now, to preserve the regime in wartime, they wave nationalist symbols. Tomorrow they might even parade Achaemenid soldiers.”
Since the 12-day war with Israel and the United States, officials have leaned heavily on patriotic messaging, even infusing this year’s Muharram mourning ceremonies with nationalist songs and imagery.
Free speech debate
Mousavi, a 35-year-old software graduate, is no stranger to controversy. Her biting humor, scathing critiques of clerics and politicians, and occasional sexual references have repeatedly attracted the authorities’ attention.
She has been arrested several times on charges such as “insulting religious sanctities,” often over satire targeting compulsory hijab laws.
Her Instagram account was deleted in 2022 after she mocked President Ebrahim Raisi’s televised prayers in Moscow.
The case has reignited debate about freedom of expression and the limits of satire in Iran.
“Insulting Ferdowsi and his enduring masterpiece, the Shahnameh, is an affront to our cultural roots. It deserves criticism, but the response should not be prison,” wrote reformist politician Azar Mansouri on X.
“Judicial punishment neither builds culture nor fosters respect.”
Journalist Milad Alavi echoed the point: “Zeinab Mousavi’s jokes about Ferdowsi were at times offensive, but they were not a crime. Criminal prosecution undermines freedom of expression and erodes the rule of law.”
The Islamic Republic has never closed the door to negotiations with the United States but insisted that any new round of talks must begin with clear evidence of American good faith, a senior member of Iran’s Expediency Council said on Thursday.
“We have never shut down the path of negotiation, but this time they must prove their honesty,” said Mohammadreza Bahonar.
Turning to the nuclear issue, the council member pointed to Iran’s current membership in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
“We are now part of the NPT, and the Agency must defend the interests of its members, including Iran,” he said.
“If the International Atomic Energy Agency does not defend our rights, if it fails to condemn attacks on our nuclear facilities, if it does not raise our case in the international system and voice our victimization, then what benefit is there for us to remain in the NPT? There is no reason.”
The Islamic Republic should respond to possible UN sanctions with threats of its own, including quitting the nuclear treaty and restricting the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Kayhan newspaper wrote on Thursday.
The newspaper, published under the supervision of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s representative, dismissed renewed talk of reimposing UN sanctions through the snapback mechanism.
“The West understands the language of threat and can only be forced to retreat by displays of power and deterrence,” wrote the daily.
“The outcome of all present realities shows that today the strategy of the Islamic Republic is not negotiation and passivity, but reciprocal threat.”
It argued that UN resolutions, diplomatic maneuvering, or the reactivation of UN sanctions would not determine Iran’s fate.
Kayhan urged Iranian authorities to take steps to signal defiance, including withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and imposing restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz.
“In the face of threat, there is no answer other than threat,” it added.
Satellite imagery shows no evidence that Iran has moved its near-weapons-grade uranium from the Isfahan facility following US airstrikes in June, the UN nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday.
“There is nothing to contradict the notion that the material is where it was,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told reporters in Washington, while urging Tehran to resume full cooperation.
Inspectors have not regained access to Iran’s key nuclear sites since the June war between Israel and Iran. Talks in Geneva between European powers and Tehran ended Tuesday without a breakthrough.
Grossi warned that the agency remains unable to verify the condition or location of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile, estimated at more than 400 kilograms before the conflict.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister warned on Wednesday that if three European countries move to trigger international sanctions at the United Nations, progress toward resuming the work of nuclear inspectors would be thwarted.
Kazem Gharibabadi added that France, Germany and the United Kingdom are not authorized to invoke provisions of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a 2015 nuclear deal, since they are no longer active participants in the agreement.
Read more here.
