Five Iranian girls arrested for dancing to Rema’s song

Five young Iranian ladies who danced to Nigerian Afrobeat singer and rapper, Rema’s song ‘Calm Down’ have been allegedly arrested. The video of the five girls went viral on Tuesday for dancing to Rema’s hit song without headscarves.

The footage showed the women dancing and slightly showing their stomachs, near highrise buildings in the Tehran residential district of Ekbatan to the song.

It spread widely on TikTok and other social media channels during International Women’s Day on March 8.

In response to the incident, Rema used Twitter to express his inspiration from the girls and other Iranian women who are fighting for a better future.

He tweeted, "To all the beautiful women who are fighting for a better world, I'm inspired by you, I sing for you, and I dream with you."

Activists, apparently from the Ekbatan area, first posted the video on Telegram and Twitter. They said authorities had been asking residents in the area if they knew the women, based on the footage, The Times of Israel said.

On Tuesday, the activists alleged the women had been detained and forced into making a video in which they expressed regret.

In the Islamic Republic, it is illegal for women to dance in public as well as to not wear the Islamic headscarf (Hijab).

Abolition of the obligatory headscarf rule has been one of the chief demands of the civil unrest that erupted in September after the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the dress code.