Woman at Mehrabad Airport Protests Cleric's Harassment by Wearing His Turban as a Scarf

A video of a confrontation between a young woman and a cleric over mandatory hijab at Mehrabad Airport on Monday, January 7, has sparked widespread reactions on social media. In the video, after a verbal altercation with the cleric, the woman removes his turban and places it on her own head as a scarf. While still wearing the turban, she searches for her husband, named 'Navid,' in the airport area. No further details about the exact timing of the incident have been released, and it is unclear under what circumstances it occurred. The incident has received significant attention online, with users praising the woman's bravery in opposing mandatory hijab and protesting against government repression. Mojtaba, a student activist on X, wrote, 'A cleric at Mehrabad Airport is bothering a woman about her hijab. The girl shouts and takes his turban off his head.' This user added, 'Now go think about how you can stop girls' courage with hijab and chastity laws.' Another popular user opposing mandatory hijab wrote, 'What sin has our generation committed to be caught in such a calamity?' This user also noted, 'It is unclear where this woman's husband has been taken.' Following the widespread public reaction, Mashregh News, a media outlet close to the IRGC intelligence organization, claimed that the incident was unrelated to hijab issues and that the woman in question had psychological problems. She was released hours after her arrest with the consent of the complainants. This media outlet denied the content of the published video, claiming that the cleric present at the incident was one of the individuals targeted by the woman's insults and that he had not given any warnings about hijab and was attacked without reason. The report claims that the young woman began shouting and attacking people present at the airport for no reason and insulted several of them, including the cleric. The report also claims that after the woman's arrest and the presence of her family, it became clear that she was 'suffering from severe psychological issues,' and 'medical documents confirmed this.' Ultimately, those who were insulted and attacked decided not to file a complaint, and the woman was released a few hours later. It is worth noting that the accusation of 'psychological problems' is a common tactic used by the Islamic Republic to discredit protests by women opposing mandatory hijab in response to government agents' harassment and in defense of themselves. Reactions to this incident, referred to as 'the girl from Mehrabad Airport,' continue to unfold.