Iranian Woman Warned Not To Return To Her Country After Participating In A Chess Competition Without A Hijab

A chess player from Iran arrived in Spain on Tuesday after allegedly receiving warnings not to go back to her country for taking part in a competition in Kazakhstan without wearing a hijab.

The 1997-born Sara Khadem participated in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships last week in Almaty without wearing the hijab, which is mandated by Iran’s strict dress codes.

The source, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the situation, revealed that Khadem, thereafter, received several phone calls, some of which warned her against going home after the competition and others of which encouraged her to do so while promising to “solve her problem.”

The source added that Khadem’s parents and relatives in Iran had also received threats without providing additional information.

The Iranian foreign ministry is yet to respond after being contacted for comment regarding the situation.

According to the source, Khadem, who is also known as Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, landed in Spain on Tuesday.

Last week, it was reported in several publications, including Le Figaro and El Pais, that Khadem would be relocating to Spain rather than Iran.

According to the source, the phone calls prompted the organizers to decide to provide security with the help of the Kazakh police, which resulted in the placement of four bodyguards outside Khadem’s hotel room.

Iran has experienced a wave of anti-clerical leadership protests since Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman, died while being held by morality police for “inappropriate attire” in the middle of September.

The mandatory hijab laws have come under fire amid the unrest as a number of sportswomen playing abroad have been spotted competing without their headscarves in public.

Iranians from all walks of life have participated in the protests, which represent one of the most audacious challenges to the Iranian government since the 1979 revolution.

Women have taken a leading role in the protests, taking off and in some cases burning their headscarves, while demonstrators have found encouragement in what they perceive to be gestures of solidarity from both Iranian male and female athletes.

According to the website of the International Chess Federation, Khadem is now ranked 804 in the world. She was listed as taking part in both the Rapid and Blitz categories on the event’s website, which was up from December 25 to 30.