Whitney Wright, an American adult film actress and advocate for Palestinians, recently garnered attention after sharing photos from her trip to Iran, with social media users engaging in discussions about the dual standards applied by the country’s clerical establishment.
The Instagram page of the 32-year-old actress prominently calls for “Free Palestine” and reveals her passion for travel, featuring images of herself in bikinis and casual wear, taken on beaches, cruise ships, and river dives around the globe.
Photos from her trips to Morocco, Egypt and Lebanon underline her interest in the Middle East and North Africa.
Last month, she sought travel advice from her 1.3 million followers on Instagram.
“Best food/things to see in Tehran,” she asked, triggering a flood of responses from Iranians who made humorous suggestions and even extended invitations to their homes.
“I have a parrot that can cook Ghormeh Sabzi. Come and let me show you. It is a delicious dish,” one Instagram user wrote.
Another one boldly declared, “Being a supporter of Palestine means you are safe in Iran, even if you are a porn star.”
Then, on January 31, Iranian social media users widely shared Whitney Wright’s stories in Tehran’s Golestan Palace and outside the former US Embassy.
She posed next to a flagpole with a torn US flag on the ground, dressed in a long headscarf, trouser suit and long coat well in line with the Islamic Republic’s dress code for women.
A caption accompanied the images that read: “If you follow the law, Iran is a safe country.”
The actress deleted the pictures in the wake of widespread reactions by Iranians.
“American porn star Whitney Wright is in Iran, my birth country, where women are killed for simply showing their hair and being true to themselves,” US-based Iranian activist Masih Alinejad wrote on X.
Iranian authorities continue to treat women as second-class citizens, including in relation to marriage, divorce, child custody, employment, inheritance, political office and clothing.
Women and girls who refuse to wear a headscarf in public places face daily harassment and violence by state and vigilantes, arbitrary detention and prosecution.
The United States, Canada and some European nations have warned their citizens against traveling to the country, saying they could face arbitrary arrest.
Western governments and rights groups accuse the Islamic Republic of taking dual and foreign nationals hostage for the sole purpose of using them in prisoner swaps or as a bargaining chip in international negotiations.
After touring the former American embassy, Whitney Wright shared photos of propaganda posters and blamed US sanctions for endangering Iranian lives and livelihoods.
She also criticized Iranian authorities over the absence of pictures depicting Palestinian revolutionaries.
Some have suggested that the trip had been orchestrated by the Iranian government ahead of the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Saeed Peyvandi, a sociologist and professor at the University of Lorraine in France, told IranWire that Whitney Wright’s visit was part of an attempt to improve the government’s image globally.
“The government’s silent acceptance of her visit, despite being aware of her background, suggests an intention to convey an image of non-restriction and non-repression in the Islamic Republic which counters internal opposition claims,” he said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani denied any knowledge of Whitney Wright’s trip, but noted that despite the political tensions “it is not forbidden” for Americans to visit Iran.
The Tasnim news agency quoted a source as saying the actress was not invited by any organization in Iran and that the visa system “was not aware of the nature of her immoral and obscene occupation.”
Wright hit back at the criticism of her images from her trip by asking: “Posting photos of my Iran trip now means I’m pushing Iran propaganda?”
“Just sharing what I saw on the inside and outside.”
Source » iranwire