Iran MPs spark outcry with 'selfie of shame'

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Europe

Iranian politicians have angered the nation after taking "selfies of humiliation" with EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini.

The top EU official, along with dozens of foreign guests, was in Iran for President Hassan Rouhani's inauguration.

However, it was Mogherini who became the center of attention as members of parliament gathered to snap photos with her, unaware of the online ridicule that lay ahead.

Opposite reaction

Mogherini was wearing a headscarf during her visit, which female officials and leaders from Western countries have previously come under fire for having done.

Earlier this year, the Swedish government had to defend its decision to have its officials wear headscarves during a trip to Iran, explaining that not following the dress code would have been against the law.

Screenshot from the Fars news agency's Twitter handle

However, this is perhaps the first incident when the controversy is not centered on the hijab – a veil traditionally worn by Muslim women – but Iranian politicians' apparent eagerness to take pictures of a Western woman in a headscarf.

"Lack of etiquette"

Newspapers in the Islamic republic accused lawmakers on Monday of embarrassing themselves.

The Persian-language reformist Ghanoon Daily copied Edvard Munch's famous painting "The Scream" for a cartoon of Mogherini, with MPs peeping from the corners with their mobile phones snapping away.

The episode "shows the lack of proper education in the country," it wrote in its editorial.

The ultra-conservative Kayhan newspaper, however, got tough.

"Those who are supposed to defend the rights of the nation against the enemy queue up to snap photos in a humiliating way with the violators," it wrote.

Iran's Fars news agency described their behavior as "strange."

Viral hashtag

Iranian netizens created a hashtag "selfies of humiliation" as the photos of the snap-happy politicians went viral, triggering a wave of anger and ridicule.

Screenshot from Twitter

"Dear MPs, thank you for disgracing 80 million people," one Twitter user wrote.

Some mocked them. One of the users drew comparisons with Snow White in the iconic Walt Disney story, with an image of seven dwarfs lining up to fawn over her.

Another compared her to Monica Belluci from the movie Malena, in which several men are offering to light her cigarette.

Why the fuss?

As the photos went viral, Iranian media saw it as the most controversial news of Hassan Rouhani's inauguration.

One of the main reasons was that Mogherini has been a prominent figure during Iran's nuclear negotiations with world powers.

Screenshot from Twitter

Secondly, she was a foreign woman, on an official trip to Iran, with critics saying that the lawmakers had failed to maintain a suitable distance.

In a country where a refusal to wear a hijab is against the law, many took offense to the politicians' apparent fondness for Mogherini, with some unappreciative of such a level of affection for a Western woman.

(With inputs from AFP)