Iran player Sara Khadem competes without hijab at international chess tournament
Iran Anti-Hijab Protests: Photos of Sara Khadem playing without a hijab were posted from the event by the International Chess Federation.
An Iranian woman chess player participated in an international tournament without wearing hijab., Reuters reported. Sara Khadem, an International chess player from Iran competed at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan without wearing the hijab.
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Under Iran's strict dress code it is mandatory for women to wear a hijab. This comes amid ongoing protests in Iran following the death of a 22-year-old Mahsa Amini who died in police custody after she was detained for "inappropriate attire"- not wearing her hijab properly.
Photos of Sara Khadem playing without a hijab were posted from the event by the International Chess Federation along with other players. Sara Khadem could be seen looking down at the chess board with her hair loose around her shoulders.
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According to the International Chess Federation website, Sara Khadem, also known as Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, is ranked 804 in the world.
In October, Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi competed in South Korea without a headscarf, but later said that she had done so unintentionally. Iran's football team also refrained from singing the country's national anthem at their first match in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
While Iran has accused hostile foreign powers of stoking the "riots", chiefly the United States but also other Western nations such as Britain and France as well as exiled opposition groups, the country has launched a massive crackdown against the protests which have continued for more than 100 days. Iran this month executed two people in connection with the protests, drawing international rebuke and sanctions.
