Iran’s Hijab Enforcer’s Daughter Wears Strapless Wedding Gown, Sparks Outrage

From Enforced Veil to Strapless Gown: Iran has strict hijab laws for women, but now those same laws are under scrutiny within the corridors of power. A wedding video of Ali Shamkhani, a close aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and former secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, has gone viral on social media, showing her without a hijab and in a strapless gown. The video has sparked a wave of protests and criticism across the country.

Controversy over luxury wedding of prominent family

According to the Daily Mail, the video was leaked on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on October 17. In it, Ali Shamkhani is seen escorting his daughter, Fatemeh Shamkhani, to the wedding ceremony at the luxurious Espinas Palace Hotel in Tehran. In the video, the bride is seen wearing a Western-style white, strapless gown, while guests can also be seen wearing attire that clearly deviates from traditional norms.

The daughter of Ali Shamkhani one of the Islamic Republic’s top enforcers had a lavish wedding in a strapless dress. Meanwhile, women in Iran are beaten for showing their hair and young people can’t afford to marry. This video made millions of Iranian furious. Because they… https://t.co/MAb9hNgBnN pic.twitter.com/WoRgbpXQFA

Social Media Outcry, Government Accusations of Hypocrisy

As soon as the video went viral, anger erupted on Iranian social media. Critics called it "hypocrisy" on the part of the ruling class. People say that while ordinary women are arrested for not wearing the hijab, the families of those close to power are given complete impunity.

Ali Shamkhani, who previously cracked down on anti-hijab protests, is now himself under fire. Many users in Iran have asked why these rules don't apply to the daughters of high-ranking officials when ordinary women are forced to cover their heads.

'Women are beaten for showing their hair' : Masih Alinejad

Exiled Iranian journalist and human rights activist Masih Alinejad wrote on Instagram, "The daughter of Ali Shamkhani, one of the Islamic Republic's top leaders, had a lavish wedding wearing a strapless dress. Meanwhile, in Iran, women are beaten simply for showing their hair. Young people don't have the money to marry, yet leaders preach modesty, and their daughters parade around in designer gowns."

Questions about the credibility of the hijab law

This incident comes at a time when women in Iran have been raising their voices against the mandatory hijab requirement for years. Many women have been jailed or physically punished for appearing in public without a hijab. This video of Ali Shamkhani's daughter has exposed the regime's double standards—while ordinary citizens are subjected to strictures, those in power face no action.

Growing resentment in Iran

Public anger is growing in the country following this video. Many have called it “moral double standards” and are demanding answers from the government on whether the hijab law is only for the poor and ordinary women.