Khaberni - A widely circulated video on social media in Egypt has sparked a wave of anger and controversy after an Iranian woman was seen performing dance moves inside the shrine of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
The shrine of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi is located inside the Rifa'i Mosque, one of the most prominent historical mosques and Islamic landmarks in Cairo, built in the 19th century and includes the tombs of several prominent figures, including the shrine of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi who died in 1980 and was buried there after being exiled from Iran following the Islamic Revolution of 1979, by request of the Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.
The shrine is considered a pilgrimage site by Iranians opposed to the current regime in Tehran, and it often witnesses annual visits or symbolic occasions by Iranian opponents abroad.
The video spreaders revealed that the woman is named Arzu Hoshyari, and she is a relatively well-known Iranian dance instructor and performer in the realms of traditional or contemporary Iranian dance.
The girl appeared in the clip performing showy movements to the tunes of a famous Iranian song called "Sorood-e Azadi" or Hymn of Freedom, which is associated with the Iranian opposition and protests against the regime.
Many considered the behavior inappropriate inside a sacred religious and historical site, combining Islamic and historical character, which caused widespread discontent among Egyptians who saw it as diminishing the site's dignity.
Angry comments spread across Facebook, X, and Instagram, with questions about the role of mosque guards or the Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism in allowing such actions inside the shrines.
On the other hand, some Iranian activists or those sympathetic to them defended the act as an expression of "joy of victory" or traditional Iranian rituals in celebrating freedom or commemorating the Shah, but this defense did not lessen the extent of dissatisfaction in the Egyptian street.
The General Directorate of the Rifa'i Sufi Order, which oversees the mosque, issued a statement condemning the behavior and affirming its inacceptability inside the sacred place, calling for respect for the sanctity of the site.
