Happiness in Iran

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According to a World Happiness ranking study, the Islamic Republic of Iran is among the unhappiest countries in the world. The Iranian regime is a theocratic Shia Islamic totalitarian government under Sharia law.[1][2][3][4][5] The Iranian regime also apprehends people making dancing videos, exercising freedom of expression, and practicing their faith outside of Islam among other activities that Iranian citizens find happiness in.[6][7] The average amount of money spent by Iranians for leisure activities is IRR 570,000 (less than $15), while the average time spent on leisurely activities is 4 hours, half of the average time spent by people in the United States.[8]

In 2024 the minister of tourism Ezzatollah Zarghami criticized Ayatollah Khamenei’s government claiming that since the Islamic revolution happiness has disappeared from the country.[9][10][11] Cost of amenities has increased largely in the 15 year period from 2009 to 2024.[12][13][14][15] A report by ISNA has blamed the Islamic Republic’s government policies under Khomeini and later Khamenei for restricting popular happiness, one of the main causes for mass emigration from Iran.[16][17]

A poll by Etemad has shown a rise in mental health problems exacerbated by lower wages and incomes.[18]

As of 2020 there are 12.5 million Iranians with mental health problems.[19][20]

By 2023, because of poverty and inflation, around 57% of Iranian citizens suffered from malnutrition.[21] Iran ranked 126th worldwide in welfare.[22] The Iranian rial (IRR) is among the most devalued currencies in the world as of 2023. [23]

According to Hatam Ghaderi by the start of 2024 depression had become a commonplace condition nationwide.[24]

Social engineering[edit]

The Iranian government has attempted cultural engineering through renaming Iranian festivals in 2023.[25]

Timeline[edit]

In late November 2023 in the northern Iranian town of Rasht in Gilan province, a 70-year-old man at a fish market (Sadegh Bana Motajadded) was recorded dancing and singing to an Iranian folk song.[26] On 1 December, he posted a version of the video on his Instagram page which went viral, generating 80 million views by mid-December. Iranians sang and danced to the song "on the streets, in shops, at sports stadiums, in classrooms, malls, restaurants, gyms, parties and everywhere else they congregate". According to at least one source—the New York Times—the phenomenon is noteworthy because music, dancing and singing are "deeply rooted" in the culture of Iran. However, dancing, especially by women or mixed-gender, has been forbidden in the Islamic Republic of Iran since it came to power in 1979.[26][27]

Bana Motajadded told a local television reporter that he was dancing “to make people happy. I only want people to be happy and to change their mood,” but authorities cracked down. On December 7 local police in Rasht announced they had removed the video from several websites, arrested twelve men who had appeared in the video and shut down their Instagram pages. On Bana Motajadded’s Instagram page, his profile photo was replaced by an emblem of the Islamic Republic's judiciary, and all of his posts were replaced with one from the judiciary reading, “this page has been shut down for creating criminal content” and that the person who had engaged in the activity “has been dealt with.”[26] According to a person "familiar with the details of the arrests" interviewed by the New York Times, the local intelligence division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp detained Bana Motajadded for several hours and accused him of “instigating against the government", the men in the video were also summoned, interrogated for hours, blindfolded, beaten, threatened with legal action and forced to sign a pledge never to sing and dance in public again.[26]

News of the arrests and a backlash against them spread rapidly across Iran. Videos of people singing and dancing to the song were posted on social media and circulated on WhatsApp and other applications, in what came to be called the “happiness campaign.”[26] The official Farsi page of the Asian Football Confederation (which has nearly 4 million followers) posted a video compilation of some Iranian footballers and teams dancing and cheering to the song.[26]

In response the Gilan province police backed down, denied they had ever arrested Bana Motajadded, and restored the posts on his Instagram page. Local news channels interviewed him.[26][28]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Iran is one of the unhappiest countries in the world - report". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. March 24, 2019. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  2. ^ "Nations | World Database of Happiness". Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  3. ^ "Iran Drops Lower In World Ranking Of Happiest Nations". Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. March 22, 2019. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  4. ^ Ziabari, Kourosh (July 2, 2018). "In Iran, There Is Little to Smile About". Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  5. ^ News, A. B. C. "Iraq, Iran Top World's Unhappiest Countries List". ABC News. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2024. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  6. ^ Haider, Murtaza (September 24, 2014). "Why is happiness a crime in Iran?". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  7. ^ "Tehran MP Says Lack of Happiness Makes Iranians The Angriest People". Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. December 10, 2017. Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  8. ^ "ساعت تفریح در ایران و جهان". روزنامه دنیای اقتصاد. February 18, 2024. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  9. ^ "حقوق بشر ایران | مقاله: حسن یوسفی اشکوری: رنج بردن، بستر اصلی تشیع است و شادی در آن جایگاهی ندارد |". Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  10. ^ "حقوق بشر ایران | مقاله: حق شادی در تضاد با اسلام سیاسیِ حاکم- گفت‌و‌گو با نیلوفر غلامی |". Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  11. ^ "اعتراف ضرغامی: بعد از انقلاب "شادی" در ایران گم شد". ir.voanews.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  12. ^ "محمد ماشین‌چیان: رفاه و معیشت مردم ایران هرگز اولویت جمهوری اسلامی نبوده و نیست". ir.voanews.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  13. ^ "راستی‌آزمایی از رتبه ۱۹ اقتصاد ایران در جهان؛ ۸۵ کشور وضعیت رفاهی بهتری از ایرانیان دارند، تنها یک کشور اوضاعش از ما بدتر است!". اعتمادآنلاین. February 18, 2024. Archived from the original on February 18, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  14. ^ "اختصاصی؛ کاهش شدید سطح رفاه و ارزش سفره‌های ایرانیان در ۱۵ سال اخیر". BBC News فارسی. August 16, 2023. Archived from the original on October 11, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  15. ^ جهان, Fararu | فرارو | اخبار روز ایران و (August 27, 1402). "رتبه ۱۲۶ رفاه برای ایران!". fa. Archived from the original on February 18, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ "جلوگیری از شادی عمومی یک دلیل مهاجرت شده است - ایسنا". www.isna.ir. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  17. ^ https://www.iranintl.com/202308318400
  18. ^ "افزایش اختلالات روانی در ایران به دلیل بیکاری، فساد، گرانی مسکن و فقر؛ زندگی فقط برای طبقه مرفه معنا دارد". اعتمادآنلاین. February 18, 2024. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  19. ^ "ابتلای 12 میلیون نفر در ایران به نوعی از اختلالات روانپزشکی". اعتمادآنلاین. February 18, 2024. Archived from the original on February 18, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  20. ^ "طبق آخرین پیمایش سلامت روان، 12 و نیم میلیون ایرانی به اختلالات روانی مبتلا هستند/ آمار اختلالات روانی در زنان بیش از مردان است/ مردم تصور نکنند اختلال روانی فقط مختص دیگران است/ اگر همیشه خسته‌اید و مثل قبل شاد نمی‌شوید، به پزشک مراجعه کنید". اعتمادآنلاین. February 18, 2024. Archived from the original on May 22, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  21. ^ "هشدار درباره "فاجعه انسانی" در ایران: "۵۷ درصد مردم سوءتغذیه دارند"". www.radiofarda.com. Archived from the original on July 19, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  22. ^ اقتصاد24, پایگاه خبری، تحلیلی (August 27, 1402). "تنزل رتبه رفاه برای ایرانیان به ۱۲۶؛ نزول ایران در رتبه‌بندی شاخص لگاتوم | اقتصاد24". fa. Archived from the original on February 18, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ Egan, John (June 12, 2023). "Top 10 Cheapest Currencies In The World In 2024".
  24. ^ https://www.radiofarda.com/a/32814470.html
  25. ^ "برای تهی‌سازی یلدا از ماهیت خود نام "روز ترویج میهمانی و پیوند با خویشان" را بر آن گذاشتند؛ دست از مهندسی کردن مناسبت‌های فرهنگی بردارید". اعتمادآنلاین. February 18, 2024. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g Fassihi, Farnaz; Nikounazar, Leily (December 16, 2023). "A Viral Dance and 'Happiness Campaign' Frustrates Iran's Clerics". New York Times. Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  27. ^ "A viral dance and 'happiness campaign' frustrate Iran's clerics". The Strait Times. December 16, 2023. Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  28. ^ https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/iransource/iran-mass-depression-sadegh-booghi/ Iran is socially engineering mass depression to suppress dissent
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