While thousands of young women are currently protesting against compulsory headscarves (hijab) in Shiite Islamic Republic of Iran and fighting for their rights. In the Austrian ORF news program ZiB1, however, a correspondent with a headscarf appeared during this protest movement – a political debate followed.
According to Exxpress newspaper, the pictures of the courageous women in Iran protesting go around the world – and the videos of police violence against the demonstrators are shocking. At least 76 people were killed, said the director of the Oslo-based human rights organization Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, citing video footage and death certificates.
Despite hundreds of arrests and threats from the government, the protests continue: In several Iranian cities, women could be seen taking off their veils and setting them on fire or symbolically cutting their hair. Riot police beat demonstrators with batons.
In this situation, the ORF newsroom let editor Katharina Wagner broadcast live in Tehran – wearing a headscarf. Many viewers were surprised:
Ironically, in a TV report about the protests against the headscarf, against the radical mullahs, does the ORF employee make a “model Iranian”? This was probably a requirement of the Iranian regime, which the ORF accepted for this contribution.
FPÖ politician: “Van der Bellen likes it”.
A heated debate immediately broke out on social media channels. And Harald Vilimsky, the FPÖ MEP, poured fuel on the fire: “Van der Bellen likes that”, he wrote on Twitter, alluding to the headscarf-sayer of the Green Federal President.
As is well known, Van der Bellen caused irritation with this saying: “We will have to ask all women to wear a headscarf – out of solidarity.” In view of the massive protests by courageous women in Iran, this sentence hasn’t really aged well.
An official statement from the ORF leadership or the ZiB1 editor-in-chief about the strange headscarf appearance has not yet come.
Commenting on this Exxpress post, many readers have expressed their outrage and others have supported it. Here are few of those comments:
Randy Andy wrote:
What a surprise; I found a video on Youtube (quickly saved before it disappeared again “quite randomly”) from the surveillance camera on site and lo and behold, the young lady Mahsa Amini (RIP) had a heart attack and can be seen clearly as in the video , without anyone within a radius of several meters, simply fell over. But also something like that and that’s why we searched a bit further and whoops “who is the driving force behind the whole thing?” Lady Masih Alinejad who has been on the CIA payroll since 2016. But as we’ve dutifully learned over the last few years, it’s all just a big coincidence… like all the other color revolutions of the last 20 years.
Muffins wrote:
I also ask, I ask my fellow citizens to vote this VdB out of office on October 9th, otherwise it will be very bad for us Austrians.
Masch wrote:
You can ask for a long time. Out of constant consideration and sheer solidarity, your own values go down the drain and are subordinated to visitors and minorities. Fatal mistake. Own countries, own customs, customs and values. Please take care of everyone!
Roland Adrowitzer wrote:
How mean can you be? A courageous young woman reports perfectly from Iran, as one of the few who are there. Because of the regulations in Iran, this is only possible with a headscarf. And then that’s how it’s interpreted. Disgusting!
Patrick wrote:
The self-proclaimed “Homeland Party” does not accept that a homeland can exist somewhere else that provides for different usages. In the event of a protest, a headscarf with visible hair led to the death of the wearer, so in my opinion the correspondent even showed courage.
If Vilimsky had the courage to say the word “Ukraine War” out loud to his friends in Moscow, he would certainly not be coming back to his “homeland” for a long time!
Rosie wrote:
And I and many others don’t give a damn about what’s going on in Iran, Saudi Arabia or similar countries where only mentally retarded men are at the helm. The locals have to take care of that.
Patricia wrote:
Rosa Lyon did the same thing on ORF about 3 weeks ago. It only shows crystal clear that we Christians submit not only in Iran but also in Austria.
Dopicha wrote:
A headscarf is not oppression of women!!!
VdB even asked our women for it – and the majority of women voted for it – > so many women don’t see it as oppression!
Mike wrote:
I haven’t seen any news on the ORF for years, for me this partisan opinion-making Wurlitzer has long since gone down. There are enough other media. What really hurts me is this compulsory fee for a service that I neither use nor want.
Siegmund wrote:
The only question that remains is what is green radio doing in Iran?
Robert wrote:
When women’s rights meet Muslim duties, the woks of the world are in their greatest dilemma, but ultimately choose the Muslims.
Posture journalists make it very easy for themselves: they always criticize the (of course male-dominated) regime, the mullahs, the Taliban, etc. and portray “society” as oppressed, enlightened and educated. Like in 2015, when all “refugees” from the Koran belts were suddenly surgeons and rocket scientists.
PS: It would be new that Western journalists would have to wear a headscarf in a TV studio for a report that can only be seen on Western TV.
Artemis wrote:
In this case, I understand the correspondent wearing a scarf on her head. Anyone who has never been to these strictly Muslim religious countries (especially as a woman) has no idea what can happen. I speak from personal experience when I was traveling in the 80’s and back then everything was more liberal in these countries and as a Western woman I didn’t wear a scarf on my head. But I wore appropriate clothing that covered my arms and legs. If I hadn’t done that, I would certainly have been sexually harassed on every corner and gotten angry looks. Of course, the ORF correspondent doesn’t want to have any problems on site, so I can understand her wearing a headscarf very well.
Laora wrote:
Well, but the ORF could finally prove its courage in Iran in the fight against the oppression of women! Because anyone who talks big in Austria and sees discrimination against women everywhere should finally show courage and fight against women’s oppression, wherever it actually takes place!
Nikita wrote:
That’s right, even during the TV recordings, when nobody but the camera crew is present, wearing a headscarf is of course mandatory!
Anyone who violates this obligation will face consequences!
Werner wrote:
All scams! The lady clearly performed in front of a green screen. It’s all just manipulation at its finest.
Linda wrote:
No country accepts protests from foreigners. They should sneak out if something doesn’t suit them.
The woman is there to work and the laws of the host country are observed.
It’s just idiotic to criticize that. This can only be people who have never been abroad except in Jesolo.
Mark wrote:
Interesting view. So you mean that human rights only apply in Austria? On the contrary, she should have denounced the regime in front of the camera. The worst would have been expulsion from the country. And no, foreigners do not have to accept unjust “laws” either. It is to be hoped that foreign countries will soon take care of this intolerable regime.
Randy wrote:
VdB should have said at the time: As a Green, I naturally stand up for equal rights for women. I therefore condemn the compulsory wearing of headscarves by Muslim women in Austria for religious reasons.
Jolesch wrote:
In Iran, women are fighting at the risk of their lives for the headscarf, the symbol of submission and paternalism by Islam. Patriarchy to be allowed to lose weight …
…. and an ORF correspondent, who also calls herself a feminist, demonstratively puts on a headscarf.
What does this ORF headscarf woman want to tell us?
Solidarity with the misogynistic mullahs?
Solidarity with the local headscarf lovers such as VdB and ex-mayor Michael Häupl?
Perseus wrote:
VdB, ORF, all NGOs, various newspapers and online media are all haters of Central European culture. Usually there are psychological problems in childhood and adolescence in the background: trouble with the father – exclusion from classmates because one was strange and possibly unsportsmanlike – hysterical hatred of ethnic traditions (but other cultures and their traditions are extremely interesting and tolerable) – etc, etc. All these psychological ailments then lead to cramped globalist and left-wing ways of thinking.
Enim wrote:
Luckily you don’t have to put peacock feathers in your underpants there.
Josephine wrote:
You don’t believe it anymore. In Iran they are protesting. The headscarf is already worn in the left-leaning state radio and the ex-Green Federal President recommends wearing a headscarf. But the state radio and the dear Federal President are totally independent, objective and not at all ideologically colored. nope (irony off).
Harry wrote:
But then the question is: Why is she reporting in this situation about a place where headscarves are compulsory? It must be clear to this unspeakable reporter what an adoring sign she is making. And the ORF must have been aware of that too.
Eva wrote:
In any case, I would also put on a headscarf if I had the choice of doing that or going to an Iranian prison. I generally obey the local laws in a foreign country. I also expect foreigners to abide by the applicable laws. Muslim women must fight for their rights themselves. No one can take that away from them or force it on them from outside.
