A video is circulating of Aisan Eslami, an ‘Influencer’ who lives in the USA with millions of followers, promoting the ‘honour’-killing of an Iranian women Simin Pourmehr on social media for her saying that one could go on holiday with the money it costs to go out for one night in Dubai. It’s a masterclass in misogyny, racism and violence against women. He says:
‘If you were my sister, I would behead you, filthy shit… Isn’t there a man in your family to come and pull your hair, and bring you to Iran and tie you up in a room, you filth. Girl, you are my namoos (honour), my countryman, my sister. Oh you filthy, shit, dog… I was just looking at explorer, [and you say], ‘we live in Dubai and with the money of one night recreation, one can go on holiday.’ Spit on your face. You shit. At least, don’t speak Farsi, speak another language… Isn’t there a mother, father, male, cousin who can come and pull your hair and hit you in the head, you filth? Why are you going to an Arab Emirate?… We go with the photo of Reza Khan, the Shah of 50, 60, 70 years ago; our history was Kourosh the great… you’re doing exactly what the Islamic regime of Iran wants – to make everyone ‘dis-honourable’, to make everyone dishonourable. Brother, ‘Binamoosy’, lack of honour is the red line of all Iranians across the world. Are we Mexicans, El Salvadorans, where the brother has sex with the mother, the mother has sex with the sister…? In Iran if this happens, there is a homicide…. Wherever you see this video [of her saying you can go on holiday for money it costs for one night in Dubai], erase the video, this will reach the hands of a few Arabs. In another 2 days they will sit together, with the fat stomachs and they will say this is an Iranian girl. I will have a heart attack to see such scenes. Then you go to Turkey and you see Iranian girls and they ask, ‘How much does she take?’ to one’s mother and sister and it leads to murder. You made me ill, girl. And it upset me that I cursed at you, you filthy shit. If I had my hands on you, I would hit your head with this [shows something] so that your head explodes.‘
He has since ‘apologised’ saying he spouted the murder of women because he ‘got caught up in the moment’ and ‘became emotional.’
Even in his ‘apology,’ Eslami places the blame on the woman who invoked his violent rage. It’s the usual shaming of women who don’t behave ‘appropriately;’ in effect she is the whore who has no one to blame but herself for any ensuing male violence.
His bogus apology shows, at the very least, the pushback that exists as a result of the Woman, Life, Freedom revolution. It also shows, though, that it is not just the Islamic regime of Iran that is being challenged by the women’s revolution.
The misogyny and violence against women is deep, including amongst the monarchist opposition abroad to which Eslami belongs. Look at the comments in his feed defending him and vilifying her to get a small flavour of this toxic masculinity and ‘honour’ culture which removes male accountability for violence. In this world, women are to be either protected or raped/beheaded depending on how well they guard the honour of men.
This violence and threat of violence spills beyond the pages of social media.
Just one case in point. At a rally against the farce of a presidential election in Iran in London, monarchists chant ‘Maryam Namazie, hurry up and get naked’ and ‘Filthy Feminists’ in first video and ‘Ripped, Ripped Maryam, Fuck your Sister’s Cunt’ in the second video whilst calling myself and other women ‘whores.’
Threats from monarchists and the regime’s agents are full of violent misogynist language similar to that used by Eslami. See some here and here.
Eslami parades topless spouting misogyny and violence against women and is enabled by social media companies to garner millions of followers. Women’s rights defenders on the other hand are often suspended and barred for defending women’s bodily autonomy and rights.
See for example:
Instagram has been restricting my account without informing me. I only found out inadvertently.
Tiktok has permanently banned me for my topless videos, also with my nipples covered in paint and a speech at a FiLiA feminist conference in defence of Woman, Life, Freedom:
The cesspit of misogyny and the far-Right, X, also suspended my account for months, and never replied to dozens of my requests for an appeal. I only returned after deleting a topless photo of myself from a protest at Trafalgar Square.
Eslami has his bare body on show as a source of his pride. Men can do as they wish but women’s bodies are ‘graphic violence’ and ‘sexually explicit’ (i.e. whores) and any threat to rape and violence justified.
As I said, the misogyny runs deep. But so does the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (Woman, Life, Freedom) fightback from Rojava to Tehran.
#NotYourFuckingHonour