Utilizing social media to post visually appealing photos of different sites in Iran, Iranian Hoda Rostami has come under fire for her online efforts to promote tourism in Iran.
The online campaign was started by Hoda Rostami in August 2019 under the name "Feel Iran". Rostami regularly posts picturesque photos of spots across Iran, with the hope her photos encourage visitors from around the world to pay a visit to Iran.
Yet, the online campaign has recently ignited criticism by Iranian citizens who considered it a "dangerous invitation" to visit the Islamic Republic of Iran with no guarantees of safety, saying that visitors might "fall into the trap" and "be taken as hostages" by the Iranian government.
Don't trust such cool images of iran, it's a bait! They are trying to encourage you to come to Iran and then take you as hostages and after months of prisons under pressure sell you to your own family by hundreds of dollars.#Iran #Iranian #Famtrip #visitiran#هدی_رستمی #فم_تریپ
— گوست رایتر (@gandalfeater) June 10, 2022
Online commentators also accused Hoda Rostami and the Feel Iran accounts of "ignoring the many challenges faced by Iranian on a daily basis and portraying Iran as the perfect place to visit".
Iran-based Hoda Rostami has also been accused of working for the Iranian government while enjoying privileges that are not usually available for average citizens, especially after users shared a photo of her dining in public without wearing the head scarf, which is mandated on all women by the laws of Iran's current political system.
#FeelIran when #IranProtests spread through the country and are met by guns and ammunition. Not as fancy as taking a colourful picture wearing a symbol of apartheid and Islamic tyranny, but at least you can spread the word, so the world knows of the Iranian's struggle.
— Hichkas (@HichkasOfficial) June 11, 2022
This account @Feeliran belongs to an Islamic regime's supporter, Hoda Rostami @hodarostami, What she does is to cover horrible & ugly facts about a country ruled by terrorists & thieves & to lure tourists into Iran, We all know what might happen to some foreigners, don't we?/1 pic.twitter.com/VLa4dJZYrn
— Ehsan (@E_ARTIFEX) June 10, 2022
In response, Hoda Rostami took to her personal Twitter account with a long thread explaining that her efforts have no goal but to "encourage tourism and light a candle instead of cursing the darkness", adding that her campaign hopes to "revive tourism which will, in turn, provide a decent living for millions of Iranians".
One picture of Hoda Rostami has drawn particular attention, with number of women asking where it would be possible to sit dressed like this as woman in #Iran #هدی_رستمی pic.twitter.com/TP975HEIEH
— sebastian usher (@sebusher) June 11, 2022
In her defense, Hoda Rostami explained that her efforts are individual and not political at all.
She added that maybe she doesn't "understand oppression, like those who paid the price for change and protest and were humiliated and suffered and went to prison or were forced to emigrate. But like any Iranian girl who fights for her freedom, I fought, from house to street, I was taken to prison many times, and I hate the obligatory hijab and any other compulsory rules".
Rostami also said "And wherever I can, I choose my dress according to my own standards. I know how difficult it is to be a woman in this land, I understand with my skin and bones the suffering of the women of my country. On the one hand, they have to fight against discriminatory laws and on the other hand they are afraid of the judgment of some people in the streets."
Finally, Rostami stated that her love for travel is the reason she chose to highlight the scenery spots of her country and out of belief that inviting tourists will bring the country more money and eventually help its people.
The Feel Iran campaign has more than 260,000 followers on Instagram so far, with most posts written in English followed with Persian.
