On Tuesday, February 22, a video went viral on social media wherein a young girl can be seen sitting on the roadside crying inconsolably. Blood is oozing out of her nose and her clothes are also covered with blood. According to Twitter users, the little girl was hit brutally on her face for not wearing a hijab. The incident reportedly happened in Iran.
Two women are also seen in the video assisting and comforting the girl.
The Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad shared the news via her Twitter handle here.
The name of this beautiful Iranian school girl is #SaraShirazi. She was beaten by a pro-regime woman. You know for what reason? Her hijab was not “proper”.
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) February 22, 2023
Don’t cry Sara. The monsters who did this to you will face justice. They’re so pathetic that your hair scares them. pic.twitter.com/RFrIHV3B69
Soon, the video of the little girl went viral with several Twitter users commenting on the same.
“Little girl bleeding after getting hit in Iran. Her fault? She didn’t wear Hijab. “Hijab is a choice” is the biggest scam of our times,” wrote popular Twitter user Monica Verma, condemning the brutal act.
Little girl bleeding after getting hit in Iran.
— Monica Verma (@TrulyMonica) February 22, 2023
Her fault? She didn’t wear Hijab.
“Hijab is a choice” is the biggest scam of our timespic.twitter.com/YYsCjrxOtU
According to information shared on the microblogging site Twitter, the girl was allegedly named Sara Shirazi, an elementary school student. As per the viral claim, she was hit by a female named Razia Haft Baradaran while she was on her way to school.
As per the online claims, Sara Shirazi was not only beaten up but her family was also threatened with a fate similar to that of Mahsa Amini if they protested or approached the media.
#Sara_Shirazi, the girl who was beaten by #Razieh_Haft_Bradaran for the compulsory hijab, is not in a good mental condition
— Meunique (@Meeeeluniq) February 22, 2023
The Islamic republic has threatened her family that if they tell what happened to their daughter, we will repeat the story of #Mehsa_Amini
Be our voice! pic.twitter.com/dhHZFpdAwo
Many Twitter users reacted angrily, denouncing the inhumane act to beat up such a young girl over hijab.
It’s not scene of a horror or crime movie, it’s a real life of Iranian children. #Sara_Shirazi elementary student who was attacked by a brutal islamist on her school way because the obligatory hijab. Her family is threatened to keep silent. #IRGCterorrists @UNHumanRights @UNICEF pic.twitter.com/ts7kvQzVoC
— Mike Yami (@MikeYami_) February 22, 2023
Such level of hatred towards little girl 😡😡😡
— sriram prasanna (@sriramprasann15) February 21, 2023
This is so heartbreaking!
— Bob Lancia (@BobLancia) February 22, 2023
Another Netizen questioned the stoic silence of so-called human rights advocates who frequently lecture others on women’s rights and empowerment.
Where is @Malala @GretaThunberg @UN @UNHumanRights
— Chandan KM (@chandankm99) February 22, 2023
Meanwhile, fact-checkers have claimed that the viral video is misleading and it is an old report from the Persian news portal Saheb Khabar and Bartar Inha.
As per dfrac, the Farsi report said, “The girl was injured yesterday afternoon in Isfahan’s Khaneh neighborhood after school closed in a fight between two students. Later, the mother of a student started arguing in defense of her child and pushed the girl. The mother was arrested yesterday afternoon in the presence of police officers and is now out on bail.”
Apparently, the girl’s injuries had nothing to do with the hijab issue and the injuries she suffered were due to an altogether different reason.
*The report has been updated based on the latest information
