Teenage Iranian chess master banned from national team for refusing to wear a headscarf

[rug]

By Marissa Payne
February 21

To most observers, nothing stood out about Dorsa Derakhshani last month when she competed at the Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival. The 18-year-old female grand master fared fine on the board, twice using the Four Knights defense, and looked like any other teenager you might see in the British territory that borders southern Spain.

But to the head of the Iranian Chess Federation, Derakhshani practically committed an act of treason.

Mehrdad Pahlevanzadeh didn’t have a problem with Derakhshani’s play, but her headwear. Derakhshani wore a simple headband in her long hair, instead of a hijab, Iran’s traditional headscarf, which became a compulsory accessory for women after the 1979 revolution. As a result, Pahlevanzadeh announced on Monday that Derakhshani would be kicked off the national team.

Derakhshani’s younger brother Borna, 15, who also entered the tournament, was also kicked off the team. His offense was agreeing to play an Israeli opponent, a strict no-no in the country that doesn’t recognize Israel as a state.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/02/21/teenage-iranian-chess-master-banned-from-national-team-for-refusing-to-wear-a-headscarf/?utm_term=.76f5cb0e1c86

[DetlefK]

1. I have seen and met a few iranian women in Germany. Most don't wear the hijab.

[rug]

3. Most women in Iran did not before 1979.

[RelativelyJones]

2. Cue the chorus calling WaPo Islamophobic...

[rug]

4. Why? This is a decision by Iranian officials.

If you read the article you'd see her brother was also thrown out because he played an Israeli at a chess tournament.

Neither wearing the hijab nor calling for the destruction of Israel are universal elements of Islam.

OTOH, blaming Islam for the acts of particular governments is pretty damned close to Islamophobia.

[RelativelyJones]

5. Ridiculous to say this is only political

Yet another example of the most conservative aspects of a religion imposing special restrictions on women. The most conservative aspects of Christianity and Judaism do the same.

[rug]

6. Not nearly as ridiculous as it is to claim it is solely religious.

As demonstrated by your last two sentences.

[Jim__]

7. I hope thats the worst thing that happens to them.

Not that I think being banned from serious chess competition is not a painful punishment for an 18 year old grand master and a talented 15 year old player (I’m not sure what his ranking is); but I imagine that there are worse punishments possible in Iran.

They both showed tremendous courage in defying the dictates of their country.

[rug]

8. It looks like the family is now living in Barcelona.

https://beyond-chess.com/interview-dorsa-derakhshani/

From the original article, this is, at the moment,the worst sanction they face if they return to Iran:

As a first step, these two will be denied entry to all tournaments taking place in Iran,” he continued, “And, in the name of Iran, they will no longer be allowed the opportunity to be present on the national team.”

Neither sibling has commented publicly on the news.

That the two young chess masters received such a harsh punishment is not a surprise. Sports in Iran and other parts of the Middle East have long been affected by the region’s strict cultural norms and precarious political stance.

Last year, American chess master Nazi Paikidze did not compete in the chess world championships in Iran because of the country’s requirement that she don a hijab.

She wore the hijab a couple of years ago at a tournament in Russia.

[Jim__]

9. That's good. - n/t