It is the best of times, it is the worst of times in Iran as the chasm between the state’s rich and poor catches global attention after Instagram account ‘RichkidsofTehran’ and its rival page ‘PoorkidsofTehran’ come to the fore.
Banned by the state on Thursday for its ‘vulgar’ content, the ‘RichkidsofTehran’ page garnered nearly 100,000 followers in a month, with a photo gallery showcasing decadent living in Tehran, often rebuked for its regressive worldview.
Now reading “Shut down due to the high amount of false publicity,” the ‘RichkidsofTehran’ page aimed at depicting an image of Iran different from the stereotypes projected by western alarmists. Clarifying the reason behind making the account, its unidentified owners said, “We love our city of Tehran. We are in no way trying to put difference between rich and poor. We are trying to show the world how beautiful Tehran and people from Tehran are.”
According to Al Arabiya News, the page featured young elite with opulent lifestyles in images that are antithetical to the common media portrayal of Iran. “We, the Middle East, are always on TV receiving negative attention and we just wanted to show that Tehran is not like that. We never thought the page would make headlines all over the world. Some of the people featured in this Instagram account don’t live in Iran. #richkidsoftehran #welovetehran.” the account administrators added.
Featuring cars such as Ferraris and Maseratis, expensive homes in upmarket northern Tehran and luxury watches, the page showcased “all he accessories a Persian boy needs.” Poking fun at their rich counterparts, the ‘PoorkidsofTehran’ posted a picture of the keys of a Saipa Pride, one of the cheapest cars in the Iranian market.
A negative comment on the ‘rich kids’ page said, “These kinds of shows are for people who are empty inside and want to fill that emptiness by showing off.” The page also comprised parties with alcoholic drinks and girls in western dress, notwithstanding the ban on alcohol in the country where wearing hijab is a legal requirement. Although house parties and drinking are part of the lifestyle of many Iranian youth from the upper brass, these activities are carried out behind closed doors and not circulated freely on social media websites, reported the Business Insider.
Since this month, the ‘RichkidsofTehran’ also has Facebook and Twitter pages, which are inaccessible in Iran. Hafte-Sobh newspaper took a dig at the ‘rich kids’, referring to them as “a class of young people who stubbornly and with the backup of their wealth, are having fun and live their own special way of life, and the Iranian system cannot touch them,” reported the Guardian.
The polarised pages have stirred interesting debates, with one that began on a photograph posted on the ‘PoorkidsofTehran Instagram account. While one comment stated that although many people live below the poverty line in Iran, “this page is feeding foreign media with exactly what they want [an impoverished depiction of the country],” another read, “The ‘rich kids’ aren’t even the top 0.1 per cent of Iran.” Lauding the page for showcasing “the real struggles of the people,” one viewer said, “The ‘rich kids’ page is testament to what’s wrong with the youth today. Over-glorifying the material and mundane without taking a look at what’s going on around the world.”
The account comes under fire amid growing disparity between the rich and poor and dwindling employment rate in Iran. According to the Taadol newspaper, the “class of nouveau riche cropped up like mushrooms” under the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmedjinejad (2005-2013), and are an offshoot of government “stocks and corruption.” The ban imposed on the ‘rich kids’ page is the latest example of Iran stomping on netizens and the cleansing of ‘western immorality’ from Iranian society, as the state continues to mark clear distinction between the ‘West’ and the ‘rest’.
Compiled By: Ayesha Shaikh
Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2014.
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