The strong decision that the Iranian Federation took with a chess player who competed naked at the World Cup

The women’s world chess which is disputed in Kazakhstan has become the scene of a new protest against Iran’s strict religious norms. Sara Khademalsharieh, a 25-year-old great teacher, defied the ayatollahs’ regime by entering the competition without the hijab. And you aroused the ire of the Iranian federation, which hastened to clarify that the player “competed independently and did not represent the country”.

Khademalsharieh – who drew in the 11th round of the rapid and blitz tournament with India this Wednesday Padmini Rottato place 34th out of 98 contestants – she sat bareheaded in front of the scoreboard, without the obligatory headscarf that Iranian women must wear according to Islamic law.

Hassan Taminipresident of Iranian Chess Federation, he assured that he was surprised that the player took off the veil, because “she had participated in previous tournaments respecting the laws”. And he added: “she did not participate in this competition through the federation, but she did it alone, independently”.

Khademalsharieh’s gesture – considered a crime in his country – was the latest show of support for the protests that are shaking Iran after the assassination of Mahsa Amini22 years old, on 14 September while in the custody of the morality police, after being arrested for wearing the headscarf improperly.

Over the past three and a half months, the demonstrations against the Iranian regime – which have already caused nearly 600 deaths and almost 1,200 injuries – have been publicly supported by various athletes from that country.

Last October, the climber Elnaz Rekabi33 years old, also competed without a headscarf in Asian championship of his sport that was played in Seoul. Upon his return to Iran, he apologized and assured that his action was involuntary, according to state media.

However, second BBC and news site Iranian wire, the athlete was arrested and taken to a prison in Evin, Tehran. And soon after, it was reported that the government had demolished his family’s home, an action human rights activists called “retaliation” but which, according to the official story, took place before the Korean tournament for reasons that they didn’t know each other. to do with Rekabi’s gesture.

A few weeks ago, the former Iranian footballer Amir Nasr Azadani was sentenced to death for supporting protests for women’s rights in his country, as reported by the International Federation of Professional Football Associations. The 26-year-old former player has been charged with a felony called “moharebeh” (meaning “enmity with God”) and will be executed by public hanging.

The answer of Ebrahim Raisipresident of Iran, was emphatic at the protests: “We will show no mercy to enemies”. The president also did not hesitate to label the protesters as “annoying, self-righteous, royalist and counter-revolutionary”.

In the chess world there had already been several cases of players competing without a veil, even before Amini’s death. In 2017, Derakhshani Dorsa, female Grandmaster and International Master at 18, refused to wear the headscarf during a Chess Festival in Gibraltar. She and she was excluded from the Iranian team for “damaging national interests.” The one born in Tehran 24 years ago, who at that time lived in Spainlater transferred to United States of Americathe country he currently represents.

Mitra Hejazipouralso an International Master, she took off her hijab during the Rapid and Blitz World Cup Moscow 2019. She was expelled from her country’s federation and banned from representing Iran for 18 years. She today she, at the age of 29, she competes for France.

Despite this background and what other athletes from her country have gone through in recent months, Khademalsharieh was encouraged to join the pleas and took off her veil to compete. Although she, aware of the danger of returning to Iran after this “rebellious” gesture, the chess player will go into exile in Spain, where her family has a house of hers, together with her husband, the Iranian director Ardeshir Ahmadiand her son, according to multiple Spanish media reports.