Iran’s E-Commerce Giant Targeted Over “Fatemeh Zahra” Mug

Iranian authorities have launched judicial procedures against country’s largest online retailer after it published pictures online showing mugs deemed "offensive to the sacred." 

The judiciary’s Mizan news agency said the Tehran Prosecutor's Office had filed a case against Digikala, known as “Iran’s Amazon.”

Social media users had shared pictures of mugs sold on the platform bearing the name of the daughter of Islam’s prophet Mohammad, Fatemeh Zahra, who was married to the first Imam of Shia Muslims, Imam Ali.

"The face of Fatemeh Zahra when you touch her mug," is written on the mug in question, with a drawing of a pet cat. 

While the name is commonly used for girls in Iran, the targeted audience for the product remains unclear.

According to Tasnim, a news agency tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), “people” had complained about some products sold on Digikala’s website.

The report expressed concern about the lack of a designated authority to address such "breaches of norms" and urged relevant judicial and oversight bodies to implement stricter measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.

In July last year, Tehran police sealed Digikala’s offices after it published pictures on social media showing female employees not wearing the mandatory headscarf.