Conservative Iranian parliament member hojat al-Islam Hamid Rasaei is no stranger to controversy and the media spotlight. He is one of the most outspoken critics of the nuclear negotiations with the West being led by Hassan Rouhani's administration, speaking along “the concerned” at various conferences to warn about the deal. He has made public accusations against The Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, who's detained in Iran, and has attempted to connect him to the Rouhani administration. Most recently, on the nuclear negotiations, he said, “The nation will break the hand that signs a bad deal.”

Rasaei is once again in the news. The critic of the West and many of its policies has once again traveled to a Western country, this time to Finland, reportedly to “promote Islam.” Rasaei has before traveled to Germany and was scheduled to travel to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup to “investigate corruption.” Though his Brazil trip was canceled, it was the subject of much derision on social media, with many users photoshopping the conservative cleric next to scantily dressed female Brazilian fans.

Saeed Aganji, an Iranian journalist in Finland, said Resalat Mosque in Helsinki invited Rasaei. Aganji, who traveled to the mosque to interview Rasaei, told Al-Monitor that the event had a “political aspect” to it and what he witnessed “had nothing to do with the promotion of Islam.”

Traveling to Europe for many Iranians is difficult, especially for younger Iranians seeking better opportunities in education and work. That an Iranian member of parliament known for anti-American and anti-Western outbursts would travel to Europe again has been the source of both comedy and frustration for Iranians on social media.