TEHRAN: Female Iranian chess players have hit back at calls by opponents of the country’s Islamic dress code for a boycott of February’s world championships in Tehran, saying the campaign hurts Iranian women.
Since the Islamic revolution of 1979, Iran has required women to wear the Islamic headscarf in public places and US chess champion Nazi Paikidze Barnes has said she will boycott the Tehran championships because she refuses to wear the hijab.
“This campaign against the tournament is against Iranian women and it doesn’t help at all,” Sara Khademalsharieh, a 19-year-old international master, told AFP.
“It’s the first time we are hosting a world championship, not only in chess but (in any) sport, and I think it’s very important for Iranian women to have this chance to hold such major events.”
Her comments were echoed by teammate Mitra Hejazipour, a 23-year-old grandmaster. “The hijab is not oppression. We are used to it and it’s one of Iran’s laws and we accept it,” she said. The US champion has launched a petition calling for the tournament to be moved.