Legendary Iranian singer Googoosh has reportedly been advised not to fly to the United States for a concert, where the US green card holder was due to perform, following Trump’s “strong borders” executive order.
According to reports that emerged on Tuesday, Googoosh — who has performed in the UAE several times including a packed gig in 2014 at the Dubai World Trade Centre — is now stuck in Heathrow after being asked by her lawyers not to board the flight to the US.
The 66-year-old singer, known as Iran’s Barbara Streisand, was in London record an album, but her lawyers strongly advised her not to attempt to fly to Trump’s country, since it now bars citizens of seven countries including Iran from entering the US.
Trita Parsi from the National Iranian American Council confirmed Googoosh’s flight denial on Twitter.
“First Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi. Now Googoosh — Iran’s Barbara Streisand. Iranian cultural icons deemed terror threats by Trump#MuslimBan,” tweeted Parsi (@tparsi) on January 31.
Googoosh has reportedly been critical of Trump’s policies on sealing borders and recently likened Trump to Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic republic, in an interview with Swedish radio.
It’s not the first time that Googoosh has faced a ban. She was forbidden from performing in her own country for 20 years after the revolutionaries banned female artists from performing in Iran.
Googoosh is not alone in paying a heavy price following Trump’s decisions.
Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, who has been nominated for an Oscar this year for his film The Salesman, has also refused to travel to the US while Trump’s Muslim ban is in place. Actress Taraneh Alidoosti, the lead actress, has also refused to travel to the Oscars.
