By Meletus EZE
The Iranian National Parliament on Wednesday criticised the arrest of a teenage girl in Iran for posting videos of herself dancing online.
The criticism came after the case attracted widespread outrage across the country.
“People do not have drinking water in some parts of the country there are numerous corruption scandals and instead of dealing with these issues, you’re concerning yourselves with a teenager’s dance,’’ said legislator Parvaneh Salahshouri, according to news agency Isna.
At this critical stage, with the country facing sanctions from the United States and risking renewed international isolation, the country needed “relaxation, not even more tension,’’ she was quoted as saying.
The controversy began when a 17-year-old Maedeh Hojabri was arrested after posting hundreds of videos on Instagram, in which she danced to Persian pop songs.
She was arrested and was made to cry and show remorse in a broadcast on Iranian state television.
Since the case emerged, the country’s judiciary and state broadcaster IRIB have come under intense criticism nationwide.
Many Iranians have posted their own dance videos on social media in solidarity with the young woman.
“We demand from the rulers who make such decisions in this country to finally understand the difference between their generation and the present one,’’ said Salahschuri.
Social services such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are considered a problem for the Islamic establishment in Iran, and the judiciary has demanded that all social networks be blocked.
However, virtually all Iranians can access prohibited sites and networks through VPN technology.
