Iran Sports Minister Sacks Official After Women Competed Without Hijab

The Sports Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kioumars Hashemi, sacked the country’s deaf sports federation chief after women athletes competed without wearing hijabs. 

Kioumars Hashemi, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports of Iran, removed Mehran Tishehgaran from his position. He named Alireza Khosravi to replace Mehran Tishehgaran.

The semi-official ISNA news agency said in a report that Mehran Tishehgaran was removed from his post because of the “events that happened in the Asian Deaf Athletics Championships.” The decision was taken after images emerged of a foreign woman athlete without a compulsory hijab at a tournament in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

What happened at the Asian Deaf Athletics Championships?

Iranian media published images of a women athlete wearing shorts and a tight tank top at the Asian Deaf Athletics Championships tournament in Tehran on November 26-27. 

The images of the sports women were taken by her team from Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country. 

The authorities were not happy with women wearing shorts and tight tank tops. The Sports Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kioumars Hashemi, became angry and removed Mehran Tishehgaran from his position.

Mehran Tishehgaran denied any wrongdoing. He said that the sports event was conducted in “full compliance” with Islamic principles. In an interview with the Fars news agency, the sports official said that “only women were present in that area and the security officials collected all the cameras and mobile phones.” He revealed that the Kazakhstan team took pictures of women athletes. 

Hijab laws in Iran

Covering the neck, head, and hair has always been compulsory for all women in Iran. The rule also applies to foreign women since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. 

Earlier this year, the head of Iran’s athletics federation resigned after women competed at the sports event without the mandatory hijab in the southern city of Shiraz.

According to hijab laws in Iran, all women must cover their hair with a hijab and wear loose fitting trousers under their coats in public places. 

However, Iranian women have been increasingly flouting the strict dress code in recent months. Since monthslong anti-hijab and anti-government demonstrations erupted in September last year following the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, various women have appeared in public places without wearing hijabs.