Iranian athlete Elnaz Rekabi was received as a hero by her compatriots at Tehran airport on Wednesday after competing in South Korea’s Asian Climbing Championships without ‘hijab’.
Elnaz Rekabi, 33, finished fourth in the competition in Seoul on Sunday when he played in the final with his hair down after competing in the qualifiers wearing the traditional Muslim headscarf.
In a landmark move, Iranian athlete Elnaz Rekabi, who represented Iran in the final of the Asian Climbing Competitions in Seoul, went without a hijab, ignoring the Republic’s restrictions on female athletes. pic.twitter.com/KvxE5NoQLi
– Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) October 16, 2022
The athlete’s gesture was seen as a show of support for Iranian women who have been protesting the mandatory use of the ‘hijab’ for a month after the death of Mahsa Amini on September 13, after being detained for not having the women’s code. respected. Clothing.
The 22-year-old Kurdish girl died three days after she was arrested by the vice squad in Tehran for allegedly violating these laws of the Islamic Republic, especially the use of the veil.
On Tuesday, the Iranian government had denied that the athlete had been detained and forced to return to the country after the match, despite the Iranian embassy in South Korea confirming the flight during the day.
That same day, Elnaz Rekabi twice apologized to the Iranians, claiming that his hijab had been accidentally moved.
According to AFP news agency, human rights activists in the Islamic country said these statements could have been made under pressure.
“Elnaz is a heroine,” shouted dozens of people gathered outside Tehran’s airport on Wednesday morning to welcome the young woman lavishly and with applause, as they hung up cell phones to film her arrival.
Elnaz Rekabi – the Iranian climber who refused to wear mandatory hejab during competitions – is greeted like a hero at 5am at Tehran airport after her plane lands from Seoul. Impressing her will only increase the Iranian nation’s immense admiration for her. pic.twitter.com/7LFUk8hTTJ
— Karim Sadjadpour (@ksadjadpour) October 19, 2022
The climatist left the airport facilities in a van, in front of a crowd in which many women were without veils.
“It was a welcome worthy of a heroine, partly also provided by women without the obligatory veil, outside the airport. However, concerns for their safety remain,” warned the non-governmental organization Center for Human Rights in Iran, headquartered in Iran. the country.
Elnaz Rekabi wore a black hooded jacket and cap and was welcomed by her family before speaking to the media.
“The atmosphere in the final and the fact that I had to leave before I finished confused my technical equipment (…). So I didn’t pay attention to the scarf I should have used. I returned to Iran in peace, in perfect health, and as planned. I apologize to the Iranian people for the tensions created,” Elnaz Rekabi reiterated.
Sport has become a sensitive topic in Iran since the death of Mahsa Amini, with several practitioners demonstrating for women’s rights, including FC Porto striker Mehdi Taremi.
Source: DN
