Female chess players protest wearing hijab at Iran world championship

[Martinus]

Female chess players protest wearing hijab at Iran world championship

By Elizabeth Roberts, for CNN

Updated 1135 GMT (1935 HKT) September 30, 2016

(CNN) — Some of the world's top female chess players are upset that the next world championship will be held in Iran, where players are expected to wear head scarves.

The US women's champion, Nazi Paikidze-Barnes, will not be taking part in the event in Tehran next February due to her concern over the issue.

Meanwhile former Pan American champion Carla Heredia -- who did not qualify for the Tehran tournament -- also called for the 64 women who are playing there to protest against the hijab rule.

"Iran has hosted chess tournaments before and women were always forced to wear a hijab," Paikidze-Barnes told CNN. "We don't see this event being any different, forced hijab is the country's law."

This, she said, is "religious and sexist discrimination."

She added: "If the venue of the championship is not changed, I will not be participating. I am deeply upset by this. I feel privileged to have qualified to represent the US at the Women's World Chess Championship and to not be able to due to religious, sexist, and political issues is very disappointing."

Meanwhile Heredia, originally from Ecuador and now living in Texas, said: "This is not only about 64 players, this is a world issue, a women's rights issue. That's why I'm speaking up. Sports should be free of this type of discrimination."

She said she hoped Iran would agree for women to play without hijabs without fear of punishment.

Islamic dress

Islamic codes of behavior and dress are strictly enforced in Iran. In public places, women must cover their heads with a headscarf.

Susan Polger, the chairman of FIDE's Commission for Women's Chess, has so far not received any complaints from players on the matter. However, she said, if complaints come in, the commission will handle them "professionally and diplomatically."

Polger, who is retired from competing, said she has never had to play a tournament wearing a headscarf. However, she said that speaking personally, she would not have an issue with wearing one out of respect for a country's culture.

Why Iran?

Iran was the only country which made a proposal to host the event, a World Chess Federation (FIDE) spokeswoman told CNN in a statement.

She added that since there were no objections from any of the other 150 national chess federations -- including the US -- FIDE's General Assembly accepted the proposal.

FIDE is "reviewing all possible solutions for the players' comfort and will discuss all the issues with the organizers in Iran during meetings in the next few weeks," said the spokeswoman, adding that the organization had so far not received any complaints from players competing.

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/09/30/middleeast/chess-iran-women-hijab-row/index.html

What's fucked up especially about this that some leftist sites (notably Guardian) and pundits are actually apologising about this and telling the players not to boycott the event.

[Syt]

Nazi Paikidze-Barnes

Ed Anger's daughter?

[Martinus]

Nazi Paikidze-Barnes

Ed Anger's daughter?

I missed that. 

[garbon]

So if another country had wanted to host this event then we could have skipped all of this?

[Richard Hakluyt]

Well, if it was in France the female players would have to wear bikinis of course.

[Josephus]

Well, if it was in France the female players would have to wear bikinis of course.

Damn...was just about to say that.

[dps]

This is fucked up on so many levels, including Iran apparently being the only country that wanted to host the event.

[celedhring]

This is fucked up on so many levels, including Iran apparently being the only country that wanted to host the event.

The Women's Chess Championship is really small potatoes. Since the regular World Championship is mixed (both men and women compete), top female chess players skip the women-only one.

[Syt]

I was about to ask why there would be a gender divide in chess. If we were talking about chess boxing ...

[Duque de Bragança]

Well, if it was in France the female players would have to wear bikinis of course.

Now Iran really got checkmated!

[Syt]

Well, if it was in France the female players would have to wear bikinis of course.

"Check this, mate!"

[DGuller]

This is fucked up on so many levels, including Iran apparently being the only country that wanted to host the event.

Not that surprising if you know anything about FIDE.  It makes FIFA and IOC look squeaky clean.  Its last two presidents were a KGB agent and a Russian oligarch (who is very likely to also be a KGB agent).

[Grinning_Colossus]

Nazi is a fairly common girls' name in Georgia. There was a 13 year old Nazi in one of my host families. The 'z' doesn't make a 'ts' sound. They should consider transliterating it as Nahzee, though.

[Martinus]

This is fucked up on so many levels, including Iran apparently being the only country that wanted to host the event.

The Women's Chess Championship is really small potatoes. Since the regular World Championship is mixed (both men and women compete), top female chess players skip the women-only one.

Fair point. 

[The Brain]

There was a 13 year old Nazi in one of my host families. 

That's adorable.