Iran’s repressive regime is being rocked by a song

against the shah of Iran were in their infancy in the autumn of 1978 when Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, a famous singer, stirred the hearts of millions with a song called “Jaleh Khoon Shod” (“The dew turned to blood”). It became an anthem of the revolution that soon toppled the monarch. “Bring down the reign of madness,” he crooned.Nowadays a new chant is catching on. Shervin Hajipour’s song, “Baraye”, meaning “for”, is no more than a string of tweets. Inspired by the death of an “improperly veiled” 22-year-old Kurdish woman in the custody of the religious police three weeks ago, each tweet gives a reason why people should rebel—“for dancing in the streets”, “for our fear when kissing”, “for my sister, for your sister, for our sisters”.