Parts of the exhibition by the Iranian artist Sadaf Ahmadi at Borås Cultural Center are being halted by the municipality’s cultural chief, citing the elevated threat level of terrorism.

Sadaf Ahmadi herself likens this situation to the art censorship she experienced in Iran.

“When subjected to censorship in Iran, they say the same thing to me as they are saying now, that it is too sensitive for devout Muslims and too hurtful for them to see this,” she says.

The artist Sadaf Ahmadi left Iran to escape the authoritarian regime’s censorship of her artworks. Now, her artworks are being halted in Sweden as well, citing the current security situation after the Quran burnings, as first reported by Borås Tidning.

“It is very frustrating and sad, and I feel all sorts of emotions about it. Censorship is something that happens in Iran, and it is strange to normalize it in Sweden, where we have democracy and freedom of expression,” says Sadaf Ahmadi.

She recounts that many of her exhibitions and installations in Iran have been censored and stopped, stating that she recognizes the reasoning:

“When subjected to censorship in Iran, they say the same thing to me as they are saying now, that it is too sensitive for devout Muslims and too hurtful for them to see this,” she says.