A video of an Iranian couple getting engaged in a shopping mall during the weekend has been circulating the internet for days now.
The video that was reportedly recorded in the northern city of Arak on Friday showed the man standing in a ring of rose petals while asking the woman to marry him.
The woman then says yes and hugs her partner while the crowd celebrates and cheers them.
The happy moment did not last long. The couple was later arrested for "outraging public decency".
The state-run Fars news agency quoted the deputy police commander of Markazi province saying the couple was taken into custody in response to the public’s demand.
The police commander has also said the couple was influenced by the “degenerate western culture”.
Despite the fact that the couple were later released on bail, their story has received the attention of internet users.
The video was shared and viewed by hundreds of thousands of users.
Twitter users jumped on the story, congratulating the couple and condemning the way Iranian authorities dealt with them.
The couple's story brought back the social media conversation about the Iranian government and they ways it enforces laws and abusing religion. These include restrictions on mixing between genders and/or display of affection in public. This is not to say anything about the mandatory head scarf and the ban on women dancing or mingling in public.
Recently, Iranians have been developing a defiant civil resistance movement were women peacefully protesting the laws. Videos of women dancing in public, taking off their headscarves, or even women in stadiums attending football matches, which is not allowed have been shared widely on the social media.
