Iranian Dissident Torpedoes Hochul After Governor Trades Barbs With Trump Over Hijab

Iranian dissident Sana Ebrahimi Ledene launched a scathing attack on New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday, accusing her of hypocrisy for wearing a hijab during a visit to a mosque while ignoring the persecution of women in Iran. The exchange unfolded amid heightened tensions between Hochul and former President Donald Trump, who criticized the governor for allegedly pandering to Muslim voters by adopting religious attire. Hochul had been photographed wearing a hijab during a Friday visit to a mosque, an act that drew sharp criticism from Trump. In a tweet, the former president mocked the governor, calling her “the Worst Governor in the Country” and suggesting that her efforts to appeal to Muslim voters were misguided. He claimed that congestion pricing in Manhattan was harming her, particularly among those for whom she wore the hijab. “The whole thing is CRAZY!” he wrote. In response, Hochul defended her actions on social media, asserting that she had shown respect for the people who welcomed her during the visit. She emphasized her commitment to treating individuals of all faiths with dignity, despite what she called the Islamophobia of Trump and his supporters. “I was a guest in a Muslim house of worship and showed respect for the people who welcomed me,” she wrote. “I’ll never apologize for treating people of any faith with dignity, no matter how Islamophobic you and your enablers are.” The controversy escalated when Sana Ebrahimi Ledene, a former Iranian refugee who fled theocratic rule in Tehran in 2019, responded with a fierce critique. Ledene accused Hochul of “cosplaying” as a champion of women’s rights while using the same symbol that has been used to oppress women in Iran. She detailed her personal experience of being expelled from school multiple times for wearing an “improper hijab.” “So am I an Islamophobe for saying ‘f*ck you’ when you cosplay as a champion of women’s rights while wrapping yourself in the same symbol that was used to police, punish, and erase me and millions of women around the world just to court Muslim votes? No. I’m not,” she wrote. Ledene’s comments underscored the grim realities faced by women in Iran, where the regime continues to enforce strict dress codes and mete out severe punishments for noncompliance. In June 2026, Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi was sentenced to 74 lashes, a travel ban, and a ban on performing after livestreaming a concert from a historical site without wearing a hijab. Her eight crew members also received convictions for “offending public decency.” These penalties followed a wave of executions targeting political prisoners, with at least 22 individuals put to death over a six-week period. The brutality of the regime gained international attention in September 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini triggered nationwide protests. Amini died in custody after being detained by morality police for an “improper” hijab. Her death ignited a movement that saw women across Iran tearing off their hijabs and burning them in protest, chanting “Woman, life, freedom” as security forces deployed tear gas, batons, and live ammunition to quell demonstrations. Despite the courage displayed by Iranian women, many continue to face dire consequences for defying the regime’s policies. Meanwhile, Hochul’s decision to wear a hijab has drawn both praise and condemnation, highlighting the complex intersection of politics, religion, and identity in contemporary America. As the debate over cultural representation and political strategy intensifies, the voices of those directly affected remain central to understanding the broader implications of such gestures.