Meet the “Rich Kids of Tehran,” a social media phenomenon that has attracted worldwide attention for offering a startling glimpse at the decadent lifestyle of wealthy young Iranians in one of the world’s most socially conservative countries.
After launching in September on Instagram, the mobile photo-sharing platform, @RichKidsofTehran quickly amassed more than 100,000 followers by posting hundreds of pictures of fast luxury cars, house parties in gated neighborhoods and attractive young women in slinky dresses.
The account, a spinoff of the original U.S.-based hit @RichKidsofInstagram, also has showcased people drinking what appears to be alcohol and young women flouting Muslim custom by not wearing hijabs, or head scarves.
Alcohol has been strictly forbidden in the country since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and laws mandate that women dress modestly and keep their hair covered with a hijab while in public — although it appears that most of the Instagram photos were taken on private property.
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