Shahin Najafi is an expatriate Iranian musician who lived relatively undisturbed in Germany until 2012, when he released a song entitled “Ay Naghi!”—a reference to the tenth imam venerated by Shia Muslims. This song is a tongue-in-cheek call for the return of its namesake to solve various social ills in Iranian society; such social critiques are a common theme of Shahin’s work. In the song, Shahin rails against corruption in Iranian politics, restrictions on women’s rights, and widespread homophobia. 

“Any outrage against the infallible imams ... and obvious insult against them would make a Muslim an apostate.” - Grand Ayatollah Naser Makareme Shirazi, commenting on the case

Iranian religious authorities dubbed the song blasphemous, evidence of Shahin’s guilt as an apostate, and grounds for his killing wherever he may be. An Iranian state-affiliated website explicitly called for his death and offered a $100,000 reward for the murderer. The main thrust of the accusation against Shahin was that his song was insulting to the tenth imam.

“If I see something wrong that is happening in my country, my honor forces me to address it in my art.” - Shahin Najafi

Shahin, though he expected significant pushback, did not expect what ended up happening, namely such a full-throated campaign of condemnation from the Iranian government coupled with death decrees. It soon became clear to him that his life was in genuine danger, and he was placed under police protection for a time. Not long after, though, the uncertainty of his safety in Germany led him to relocate entirely to the United States.

Currently, Shahin lives in the United Kingdom.