Burning Khamenei's Photo to Light Cigarettes... Iranian Women Without Hijabs Become Symbols of Resistance

Rowling and Musk Join as Videos Spread
Human Rights Groups Warn Death Toll May Exceed 2,000

As anti-government protests continue to spread across Iran, videos of women using photos of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei to light their cigarettes are rapidly circulating on social networking services (SNS), emerging as a symbol of resistance.

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran, and an Iranian woman lighting a cigarette. Screenshot from SNS

According to specialized European media outlets such as Euronews on January 12, various SNS platforms have seen a series of videos posted showing Iranian women without hijabs burning photos of Khamenei to light their cigarettes, throwing the charred images on the ground, and making obscene gestures. In Iran, both defacing the Supreme Leader's image and women publicly smoking without wearing a hijab are strictly prohibited.

Despite the Iranian government's strict control of telecommunications access following the protests, these videos have quickly spread overseas through reposts and shares. International celebrities have also shown their support. On January 11, J.K. Rowling, author of the 'Harry Potter' series, expressed her support by sharing a photo of a woman lighting a cigarette with Khamenei's image on her SNS. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, also shared the post and changed the Iran flag emoji on his platform X, which he owns, to the lion and sun emblem used before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Euronews interpreted these videos as simultaneously expressing rejection of both political and religious authority, as well as the strict social norms imposed on women. Iranian women have become symbols of resistance since the hijab protests sparked by the suspicious death of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in 2022, cutting their hair and burning hijabs as acts of defiance. Since then, they have continued to resist the regime in various ways, such as not wearing the hijab, participating in sports events, and staging nude protests. Recent demonstrations have reportedly evolved into even more provocative and creative forms, such as participating with blood on their lips or performing gymnastics in front of security forces.

Meanwhile, anti-government protests in Iran, triggered by economic hardship, have continued for more than two weeks, with the number of deaths rising sharply. On January 11 (local time), Iran Human Rights (IHR), a Norway-based organization, reported that at least 192 deaths had been confirmed so far. Considering the difficulty of verifying information due to internet shutdowns, there is speculation that the actual number of deaths may exceed 2,000.