“I trained to become a professional Koran singer, from the age of 14 until I was 18. This involved learning Arabic harmony, breathing techniques, all of the things that this entails. And, of course, it involved studying the Koran.” AgeCoursesStudyInvolvedHarmonyTechniqueSingersBreathing Author:Shahin Najafi
“I was a very devout boy and one day I heard the music of an Egyptian Koran singer in the mosque. The melancholy of this music touched me so deeply that it brought me to tears.” BoysHeardTearsOne DaySingersTouchedMelancholyEgyptianMosques Author:Shahin Najafi
“I lived in the world of poetry and ideas. I thought life was all about art and philosophy. In the military, I suddenly found out about the real world.” WorldArtIdeasRealPhilosophyFoundMilitaryReal WorldThoughts On Life Author:Shahin Najafi
“My family thought if I spent time in the military, I'd become more reasonable, a bit calmer. But I've always been extreme in what I do - both as a believer and a nonbeliever.” IfsBitsMilitaryMy FamilyExtremesBelieverReasonableCalmer Author:Shahin Najafi
“I actually don't like hip hop much; the music is too clichéd, the subculture, especially the macho strutting of gangsta rappers, isn't my thing. But, at the same time, rap is a simple, direct and strong musical language.” LanguageStrongSimpleMusic IsDirectMusicalHip HopRapHipsHopsRapperMachoSubcultureGangstaStrutting Author:Shahin Najafi
“Fundamentalists can't take a joke. Ever. They want us to blindly obey, parrot everything they do, and believe in their dogmas.” WantBelieveJokesDogmaWant UParrots Author:Shahin Najafi
“Nothing is allowed in public, while everything is permitted behind closed doors.” BehindsDoorsClosed DoorsBehind Closed Doors Author:Shahin Najafi
“Iran is hard to understand. Although it is ruled in an authoritarian manner, it's not a state in which everything is controlled from one center. There are many forces that work in parallel: the military, the intelligence service, the Revolutionary Guard, the clergy and the government. They all share a fear of the nation's youth.” HardStatesGovernmentForceNationsShareMilitaryYouthRevolutionaryIranControlledParallelsClergyIntelligence Services Author:Shahin Najafi
“I believe in freedom, I'm for a world without borders. But that's an ideal. On a practical level, I'm for a secular state where religion only plays a minor role.” WorldBelieveStatesPlayI BelieveLevelsRolesIdealsI Believe InPracticalsBordersMinorsSecular Author:Shahin Najafi
“The most important element of democracy, I believe, is the protection of minorities.” BelieveImportantI BelieveDemocracyElementsProtectionMinorities Author:Shahin Najafi
“The future belongs to us. I think that art is a force that can change the world.” ThinkingWorldArtForceArt IsChanging The World Author:Shahin Najafi
“I'm a musician; I have to perform. I can't give up. I have to be even more courageous. We know that we have a lot of enemies. Not only in Iran. But that doesn't matter.” KnowsGivingI CanMatterEnemyGiving UpMusicianIranCourageous Author:Shahin Najafi
