An Iranian cosmetic company is facing heat from the Islamic Republic's conservative hardline government after it created an advertisement showing women hip hop artists performing rap.
Khanoumi Shop, an online cosmetics and personal care retailer, took to Instagram to post a promotional video showing young women performing a rap song. This was a violation of the country's ban on solo female public singing. The authorities issued a judicial order pulling down the Instagram page of Khanoumi, which had over 1.5 million followers, according to Iran International.
However, Khanoumi Shop issued a statement stating that they removed the video from the page even before the ban was issued. The statement from the company said the content was not posted with the intention of "hurting public sentiment."
"Despite the video's removal, such measures as suspending pages and cutting off communication with customers will certainly have a negative impact on the investment and entrepreneurship environment, as well as on public confidence in the e-commerce sector," the company's statement said.
Many social media users expressed their angst at the move, stating pulling down the page reflected the double standard in the approach of Iran's security and judicial authorities. They questioned why there wasn't the same seriousness in cases that involved the disappearance of women.
"How did you manage to find the girls who danced within 24 hours, but still haven't found Elaheh Hosseinnejad, who disappeared 10 days ago? Search for her the same way," one user said.
Another wrote: "How come you have been unable to find any trace of Samar after nearly three years, while, in contrast, you quickly dealt with women who appeared in the advertisements and closed their pages, which were their source of livelihood?"
This isn't the first time that the brand has drawn the ire of authorities. It had earlier too put up advertisements and messages that challenged the Iranian theocratic government, including how it released a rap video two years ago featuring female animated puppets. It had earlier released an advertisement for a moisturising cream that referenced the dryness of Isfahan's Zayandeh Rood River, a key water source which has dried up due to the mismanagement of authorities.
Recent years have witnessed more brands take on Iran's conservative government. Recently, the Instagram page of feminine hygiene brand 'MyLady' was blocked after it ran a campaign for International Women’s Day on March 8, raising awareness about the restrictions imposed by the Islamic Republic against Iranian women.