Since its very beginning, the mass protest movement of Iranians against their theocratic government has been supported by many of the country’s prominent sportswomen and sportsmen.
https://thewire.in/world/chess-star-sara-khadem-flees-iran-over-headscarf-rule
The female elite of the Iranian chess world has been no exception. In late December, Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, Sara Khadem for short, joined the ranks of Iranian chess professionals who have unequivocally rejected the mandatory headscarf at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
In doing so, the 25-year-old international chess grandmaster has shown her solidarity with the movement against Iran’s mullah regime.
Khadem’s decision not to wear a headscarf during her appearance at the World Cup had immediate consequences. Following the event, Khadem traveled from Kazakhstan to an unknown city in Spain with her husband, film director Ardeshir Ahmadi, and their 10-month-old son.
A return to Iran would probably have resulted in life-threatening consequences for the chess star. The case of Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi, who competed without a headscarf at the Asian Championships in Seoul in October, serves as a cautionary tale. Upon her return to Iran, Rekabi was placed under house arrest, and she and her entourage have since been subjected to massive state intimidation.
This article first appeared in DW.
11/01/2023