Khājeh Shams-od-Dīn Moḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī, known by his pen name Hafez or Hafiz, was a Persian lyric poet whose collected works are regarded by many Iranians as one of the highest pinnacles of Persian literature. His works are often found in the homes of Persian speakers, who learn his poems by heart and use them as everyday proverbs and sayings. His life and poems have become the subjects of much analysis, commentary, and interpretation, influencing post-14th century Persian writing more than any other Persian author.
The music of Afghanistan comprises many varieties of classical music, folk music, and modern popular music. Afghanistan has a rich musical heritage and features a mix of Persian melodies, Indian compositional principles, and sounds from ethnic groups such as the Pashtuns, Tajiks and Hazaras. Instruments used range from Indian tablas to long-necked lutes. Afghanistan's classical music is closely related to Hindustani classical music while sourcing much of its lyrics directly from classical Persian poetry such as Mawlana Balkhi (Rumi) and the Iranian tradition indigenous to central Asia. Lyrics throughout most of Afghanistan are typically in Dari (Persian) and Pashto. The multi-ethnic city of Kabul has long been the regional cultural capital, but outsiders have tended to focus on the city of Herat, which is home to traditions more closely related to Iranian music than in the rest of the country.
The Music of Pakistan is a fusion of Turko-Persian, Arab, Hindustani, and contemporary Western influences, creating a distinct musical tradition often referred to as "Pakistani Music." The genre has adapted and evolved over time in response to shifting cultural norms and global influences. It has also been deeply shaped by Pakistan's tumultuous political and geopolitical landscape. The Islamization policies of the 1980s, which sought to align Pakistani culture with conservative ideals of Wahhabism, imposed strict censorship on music and musical expression. This period of repression was further fueled by the ongoing Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, during which Wahhabism was aggressively promoted with backing from the United States and Saudi Arabia as part of efforts to counter Soviet influence.
The ghazal is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. Ghazals often deal with topics of spiritual and romantic love and may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation from the beloved and the beauty of love in spite of that pain.
Persian literature comprises oral compositions and written texts in the Persian language and is one of the world's oldest literatures. It spans over two-and-a-half millennia. Its sources have been within Greater Iran including present-day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Caucasus, and Turkey, regions of Central Asia, South Asia and the Balkans where the Persian language has historically been either the native or official language.
Nima Yooshij or Nimā Yushij, also called Nimā (نیما), née Ali Esfandiari, was a prominent Iranian poet. He is famous for his style of poetry which he popularized, called she'r-e now, also known as She'r-e Nimaa'i in his honour after his death. He is considered as the father of modern Persian poetry.
Mehdi Karroubi is an Iranian Shia cleric and reformist politician leading the National Trust Party. Following 2009–2010 Iranian election protests, Karroubi was put under house arrest in February 2011. As of 2021, he is still confined to his house.
Mir-Hossein Mousavi Khameneh is an Iranian socialist politician, artist, architect and opposition figure who served as the 45th and last Prime Minister of Iran from 1981 to 1989. He was a reformist candidate for the 2009 presidential election and eventually the leader of the opposition in the post-election unrest. Mousavi served as the president of the Iranian Academy of Arts until 2009, when conservative authorities removed him. Although Mousavi had always considered himself a reformist and believed in promoting change within the 1979 constitution, on 3 February 2023, in response to the Mahsa Amini protests, he announced his opposition to the Islamic Republic and asked for a widespread referendum to fully change the constitution and make a fundamental change in Iran's political system.
Mehdi Akhavān-Sāles, or Akhavān-Sāless, pen name Mim. Omid was a prominent Iranian poet. He is one of the pioneers of Free Verse in the Persian language.
Abul-Ma'ānī Mīrzā Abdul-Qādir Bēdil, also known as Bedil Dehlavī and Bedil Azimabadi, was an Indian Sufi, and considered one of the greatest Indo-Persian poets, next to Amir Khusrau, who lived most of his life during the reign of Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor. He was the foremost representative of the later phase of the Indian style of Persian poetry, and the most difficult and challenging poet of that school.
Simin Behbahani, her surname also appears as Bihbahani was a prominent Iranian contemporary poet, lyricist, and activist. Renowned for her mastery of the ghazal, a traditional poetic form, she became an icon of modern Persian poetry. The Iranian intelligentsia and literati affectionately referred to her as the "Lioness of Iran."
Islamic poetry is a form of spoken word written & recited by Muslims. Islamic poetry, and notably Sufi poetry, has been written in many languages including Urdu and Turkish.
Intellectual movements in Iran involve the Iranian experience of modernity and its associated art, science, literature, poetry, and political structures that have been changing since the 19th century.
Mirza Ali-Akbar Tahirzada, commonly known by his pseudonym Sabir (صابر), was a satirist and poet in the Russian Empire, who played a leading role in development of Azerbaijani literature.
Radio Zamaneh is an Amsterdam-based Persian language exile news platform and former radio broadcaster with a leftist approach. "Zamaneh" is the Persian literary term for "time".
Fatemeh Karroubi is an Iranian politician and activist. She is the wife of Mehdi Karroubi, a politician, Shia cleric, chairman of the National Trust Party and a candidate for President of Iran during the 2005 and 2009 presidential elections. Fatemeh Karroubi campaigned openly with her husband during the 2009 presidential campaign, drawing comparisons to another high-profile political spouse, Zahra Rahnavard, the wife of Mir Hossein Mousavi. Candidates campaigning openly with their wives had previously been a rare occurrence within the Islamic Republic of Iran since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
Fatemeh Shams, also known as Shahrzad F. Shams is a contemporary Persian poet, literary scholar and translator, currently based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and teaching Persian literature at the University of Pennsylvania. She previously taught Persian literature and language at Oxford University, Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House, and School of Oriental and African Studies in London, UK.
Fateme Ekhtesari, also Fatemeh Ekhtesari, is an Iranian poet. Ekhtesari lived in Karaj and she writes in Persian. In 2013, she appeared at the poetry festival in Gothenburg. After she arrived back in Iran she was imprisoned and later released on bail. Her verdict came in 2015 when she was sentenced to 99 lashes and 11.5 years imprisonment for crimes against the Iranian government, for immoral behaviour and blasphemy.
Mehdi Mousavi, also Mehdi Moosavi, also Seyed Mahdi Mousavi (born 1976) is an Iranian poet. He is known for poems on social issues. Mousavi was arrested in 2013, along with poet Fateme Ekhtesari. Mousavi was sentenced to nine years in prison plus 99 lashes. A group of poets signed a petition asking for his release. Mousavi escaped from Iran in January 2016. Mousavi is a poet, editor, cultural activist and pharmacist from Iran. He came to Lillehammer as part of the Cities of Refuge Network in 2017.
She'r-e Nimaa'i is a school of Modernist poetry in Iran that is derived from the literary theory of Nima Yooshij, a contemporary Iranian poet. Nima Yooshij revolutionized the stagnant atmosphere of Iranian poetry with the influential poem Afsaneh, which was the manifesto of She'r-e Nimaa'i. He consciously challenged all the foundations and structures of ancient Persian poetry. The nature of Mazandaran, social criticism, and humor are just a few examples of the themes that Nima Yooshij used in his poems. She'r-e Nimaa'i was the source of inspiration and growth of many great modern Iranian poets, including Sohrab Sepehri, Forough Farrokhzad, Mehdi Akhavan-Sales and Fereydoun Moshiri.
