Iranian athlete takes off headscarf at international competitions out of defiance

content of the article

As Iran approaches the second month of brutal crackdowns on dissidents, an Iranian athlete decided to join her fellow protesters in protesting the regime’s mandatory hijab law.

content of the article

Elnaz Rekabi, a 33-year-old from Tehran, is one of Iran’s top rock climbers. She is one of only two Iranian women who compete in public without a headscarf.

content of the article

A video that went viral on social media showed Rekabi climbing a wall with her hair tied back in a ponytail at the finals of the IFSC Climbing Asian Championship in Seoul over the weekend.

“Sport can be highly political,” tweeted MEP Hannah Neumann.

content of the article

Rekabi’s concerns about wearing a headscarf date back to 2016. In a Euronews interview, she explained that the hijab is a barrier to participation.

“It was a bit bizarre at first for the other athletes who were curious about a girl wearing a scarf on her head and an outfit that covered her arms and legs while competing indoors in such hot temperatures,” she said.

“Sure, when it’s hot, the hijab becomes a problem. During competition, your body needs to expel heat. But we tried to create an outfit ourselves that respects the hijab and is compatible with the practice of climbing.”

As one of the few female climbers in Iran, she hoped to be an inspiration to women trying to break into the scene.

content of the article

“My friends congratulate me and encourage me to keep going. But it’s true that people are stunned every time they ask me what I do. A climber? But on the bright side, it helps other girls get out and play this sport.”

After this weekend’s competition, Rekabi’s fans supported her message.

Iranian journalist Sima Sabet stated that Rekabi may no longer be allowed to participate in the Iran national team as he has taken off his hijab.

content of the article

Boxer Sadaf Khadem paved the way with firsts for athletes in Iran. In 2019, she became the first female boxer since the Iranian revolution to compete in an official boxing competition, the first Iranian woman to win an official bout, and the first to remove the hijab during competition.

content of the article

During her first high-profile match in Royan, France in 2019 against opponent Anne Chauvin, she respectfully removed her headscarf and replaced it with a blue head and gum shield, opting for shorts and a t-shirt in the colors of the Iranian flag.

“I messed up the rules of my country,” Khadem told the Guardian. I didn’t wear a hijab, I was trained by a man – some people take a bad view on that.”

On April 16, 2019, two days after their fight, Khadem canceled her flight to Iran. your representative told Reuters that authorities had issued arrest warrants for both her and her coach Mahyar Monshipour. She stayed in France after applying for asylum.