Furious reactions are pouring in after Iranian singer Amir Hossein Maghsoudlou, known as Amir Tataloo, posted graphically-worded lines against Shiite Islam and its followers on Instagram, where he is followed by over four million people. The post seems to be a response to a video that shows the apparent burning of 72 doves at a Shiite passion play on the occasion of the Islamic holy month of Muharram. Social media users initially speculated that the doves were intentionally burned alive to symbolize the 72 companions of the third Shiite imam, said to have been killed alongside Hussein ibn Ali by the forces of the caliph in 680. But Animal Rights Watch later stated that the clip was four years old and that the doves were supposed to have been evacuated from tents that were set on fire as part of the passion play, but that the person responsible for doing so had neglected his duties.

The Instagram post has become a tremendous embarrassment for the country's hard-liners, who have supported the controversial singer over the past two years to appeal to younger Iranians despite his apparently unreligious behavior and lifestyle.

Tataloo made headlines in May 2017 in the run-up to the country's presidential elections that month for endorsing Ebrahim Raisi, the candidate of the powerful conservative camp and the main challenger to incumbent President Hassan Rouhani. A short video released by the Raisi campaign showed the cleric sitting with the singer and chatting with him. The scene sparked a backlash of anger among the Reformists, who accused Raisi of using any means possible to win votes and argued that Tataloo's record is not in line with the religious slogans the conservative camp was propagating.

Now, amid the ongoing everyday rivalry and verbal exchanges between the two political camps, the Reformists are touting the Tataloo affair as an I-told-you-so moment against the conservatives.