Viral video: Woman in Iran removes turban of cleric to use it as hijab

A video of a woman confronting a cleric at Mehrabad airport in Iran has gone viral on the internet. In the video, the woman, seen without a hijab, removes the cleric’s turban and places it on her own head. She can be heard shouting, 'So you have honour now?' and asking, 'What did you do to my husband?'

The video was shared on social media by Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad. Alinejad stated the woman confronted the cleric for allegedly harassing her about not wearing a hijab.

Sharing the video, Alinejad wrote, "A brave woman at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport confronted a cleric harassing her for not wearing a hijab. In a bold act of defiance, she removed his turban and wore it like a scarf, turning oppression into resistance."


"For years, clerics have claimed their turbans and robes are sacred and untouchable, but this woman’s act of protest shattered that myth. Iranian women are exhausted and enraged by gender apartheid," she added.


Hailing the woman's actions, one X user commented, "We’re witnessing something quite unprecedented: Women leading the charge against an immoral, illegitimate Islamic regime, fully hostile to its female citizens. We clasp our hands in prayer that the resistance of these brave, courageous women successfully leads to the downfall of the Islamic regime. I honor their extraordinary courage. The day will come Iranian women will be so honored."

Meanwhile, Mashregh News, linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), presented a different account. It claimed the incident was not related to hijab and the woman had “psychological problems.” The outlet reported she was briefly detained and later released.

Social media users disputed Mashregh News’s explanation. One commented: 'Her transformation of the turban into a mandatory scarf is an innovative form of resistance.' Another user wrote: 'That is a lady who has just had enough. You cannot scare people who reach that point. Courage and its shadow of defiance wins out in the end.' This follows other instances of public protest in Iran, including a student removing her clothes at Tehran’s Azad University last November. Officials attributed that incident to mental instability, a claim challenged by Iranian psychology and psychiatry associations.