“Censorship” is the nightmare of every artist, writer, and thinker. This nightmare is present in the realm of “literature” and is a subject of conflict between Iranian writers and it, which is the topic of this writing.

In our country, censorship, deletion, and distortion of the works of artists and intellectuals have been systematically and continuously enforced, especially after the rise of the Islamic Republic government in Iran. Every day, it becomes more advanced than the day before. Of course, every government and organization has its own specific policy that supports and suppresses its own intellectual and thinkers, but this support and suppression varies in intensity and behavior in different countries and organizations. Since the beginning of its rule, the Islamic Republic has spoken against its opponents’ ideas with the language of assassination, deletion, and widespread censorship of their works, and therefore it can be said that this government can be at the forefront of governments that impose the most suppression and censorship on thought.

Of course, reviewing and addressing the half-century of censorship in the arts and thoughts of Iranian writers and its consequences cannot be contained in this writing, and the author of this article only refers to a drop in this ocean.

What has happened to the “Iranian Writers Association” is a clear example of the suppression and censorship of intellectuals and their works. The Writers Association is a cultural, professional, and non-profit organization that officially and publicly began its activities as the first professional and democratic organization of writers in Ordibehesht 1347 (May 1968). Although the members of the Writers Association played a significant role among intellectuals during the 1957 Revolution, they were the first group to be suppressed and censored after the revolution. From the arrests of the 1960s to the chain murders of intellectuals in the 1970s, the names of members of the Writers Association are always visible on the list of those kidnapped or killed; names like Mohammad Jafar Poyandeh, Mohammad Mokhtari, Hamid Hajizadeh, and Baktash Abtin. Members of the Iranian Writers Association have often been victims of censorship and distortion of their works, even if their

Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic and the implementation of censorship and removal of works, writers and intellectuals have been divided into three groups in order to get their works published. The first group consists of those who have not given in to the distortion and censorship of their works and have sacrificed their income and publication in Iran. Examples of such works include “Neighbors” by Ahmad Mahmoud and “Colonel” by Mahmoud Dowlatabadi. “Neighbors” is a novel about the infiltration of leftist ideas among the working class in Iran during the nationalization of the oil industry and the protests of workers and the government’s response to them. The author never gave in to censorship and distortion of his work, which is why the novel was never allowed to be published and ultimately ended up being published underground, resulting in no income for the author. “Colonel” is also a novel about a general in the Shah’s army and his family during the 1979 revolution. Although it was written in the early

The second group of writers are those who cleverly avoid censorship or cross the red lines of the Ministry of Culture and Guidance by using their artistic talent. However, due to their defiance, they may not always be successful in publishing their works and their works may be banned. These writers prefer to limit their thoughts and works to empty scenes. They have sacrificed their own narrow framework of censorship and the strict guidelines of the Ministry of Islamic Guidance in order to promote new ideas and expand culture.

The third group of writers are those who have resorted to self-censorship. They are the ones who create their works within the framework of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and before any inspection or corrections are made to their book, they censor their work or their thoughts themselves.

Self-censorship may be the worst thing that can happen to intellectuals in a society. A society where self-censorship becomes normal will have a hard time accepting new ideas and breaking old frameworks. Of course, self-censorship itself is the result of years of censorship and banning of writers who could have fostered rich intellectual currents if they had lived in a freer world. Just as self-censorship is the fruit of censorship, it also has its own fruits that will have a catastrophic impact on society in the long run. With the spread of self-censorship in society and its passage over intellectuals, we will witness a society that has lost its dynamism and is no longer receptive to any new and opposing thoughts to the norm imposed by the government. For the reasons mentioned, self-censorship is currently one of the major concerns of Iranian intellectuals and thinkers, who address it with every tool they have and speak out about its consequences.

Ultimately, it must be said that despite the fact that the Islamic Republic has always made the walls of the room of intellectuals tighter and censorship more complicated since its establishment, writers have not given up and have continued to survive and, more importantly, to continue their thinking. The clash between writers and the censorship of the Ministry of Culture and Guidance has always been side by side, and even in recent years and with the advancement of technology, a considerable number of writers have been restricted from obtaining permits and earning income, and have independently published their works in independent online magazines or their own social networks and blogs. Over the years, the Iranian government has not stopped its efforts and has become more systematic in censoring dissenting thoughts; on the other hand, writers have written more powerfully about censorship and have fought against it in any way they can. Despite all this, we hope that this clash between writers and the government will end with the victory of writers and that one day, no one’s thoughts and works