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Indian chess star says no to headscarf, pulls out of event in Iran
The Times of India ^ | Wednesday, June 13, 2018 | Amit Karmarkar

Posted on 06/13/2018 1:48:05 PM PDT by Jyotishi

Highlights

Former world junior girls' champion Soumya Swaminathan has pulled out of the Asian Team Chess Championship, to be held in Iran

Swaminathan cited the Islamic country's "compulsory headscarf" rule as violation of her personal rights

In 2016, Indian shooter Heena Sidhu had withdrawn from a meet in Iran citing the same reason

PUNE: Woman Grandmaster and former world junior girls' champion Soumya Swaminathan has pulled out of the Asian Team Chess Championship, to be held in Hamadan, Iran, from July 26 to August 4, calling the Islamic country's "compulsory headscarf" rule violative of her personal rights.

"I do not wish to be forced to wear a headscarf or burqa. I find the Iranian law of compulsory headscarf to be in direct violation of my basic human rights, including my right to freedom of expression and right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. It seems that under the present circumstances, the only way for me to protect my rights is to not go to Iran," the 29-year-old, who is India No. 5 and world No. 97 among women, posted on her Facebook account.

Earlier, in 2016, top Indian shooter Heena Sidhu had withdrawn from the Asian Airgun meet in Iran citing the same reason.

'No place for an enforceable religious dress code in sports'

Soumya said that when she first gave the nod to be a part of the Indian team, the host country was to be Bangladesh and the dates were different. "But once the new dates and new venue came up, I excused myself," she added. When asked if the All India Chess Federation (AICF) should have protested against the decision to allot the tournament to Iran, Pune girl Soumya told TOI: "I can't expect everyone to be of the same opinion as me. It's subjective issue."

However, in her Facebook message, Soumya blasted the officialdom. "I am very disappointed to see that player's rights and welfare are given little importance while allotting and/or organising official championships," she wrote.

"I understand the organi-D Harika and Padmini Rout competed in that event."

Among other chess players, Ukraine's Muzhychuk sisters, Anna and Mariya, have been vocal about human rights and gender equality and have refused to play premier tournaments in Saudi Arabia. The champion team from the Iran event will qualify for the World Team Chess Championship. Iran is also scheduled to host the open Asian Team championship concurrently.

Bharat Singh Chauhan, All India Chess Federation honorary secretary, did not respond to requests for comment.

Soumya's Facebook post received hundreds of comments, majority of them appreciating her brave stance.

The details of remaining members in the five-member women's team are sketchy.

American chess player Nazi Paikidze also refused to play the knockout World Championship in Tehran, Iran, last year over the same issue.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: burqa; chess; compulsorytrashbags; forced; forcedburqa; headscarf; india; iran; islam; muslim; sari; sharia; terrorism; waronterror; woman; women
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More power to women against the cult of Islam!
1 posted on 06/13/2018 1:48:05 PM PDT by Jyotishi
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To: Jyotishi

You can hide a tiny microphone in your ear, hidden from view by the headscarf, and you can take instructions from a nearby chess computer watching the game via someone’s iphone.

I would be against all headscarves in chess. Even voluntary ones.


2 posted on 06/13/2018 1:51:50 PM PDT by samtheman (LetÂ’s elect as many Republicans as possible in 2018)
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To: Jyotishi

3 posted on 06/13/2018 1:52:41 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: Jyotishi

Perhaps such events should be held in civilized nations, and not in Muslim ones.


4 posted on 06/13/2018 1:54:05 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: Jyotishi

good for her...hopefully, the decent civilized citizens of Iran will regain their Persian heritage and become a peaceful and prosperous nation...


5 posted on 06/13/2018 1:54:39 PM PDT by cherry
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To: Jyotishi

Good. Don’t give in to the gutter religion.


6 posted on 06/13/2018 1:56:16 PM PDT by I want the USA back (Liberalism, like insanity, is the denial of reality.)
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To: Jyotishi

Good Move!

Checkmate!


7 posted on 06/13/2018 1:56:56 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: Jyotishi
Good for her.


8 posted on 06/13/2018 1:57:14 PM PDT by Jim W N (MAGA by restoring the Gospel of the Grace of Christ and our Free Constitutional Republic!)
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To: Jyotishi

I suggest reading “Midnight Furies” (not just you kind OP, but, all).

The Hindu/Islam conflict makes the Israeli/Islam conflict look like a mild disagreement.


9 posted on 06/13/2018 1:59:54 PM PDT by Conan the Librarian (The Best in Life is to crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and the Dewey Decimal System)
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To: samtheman

[ You can hide a tiny microphone in your ear, hidden from view by the headscarf, and you can take instructions from a nearby chess computer watching the game via someone’s iphone.

I would be against all headscarves in chess. Even voluntary ones. ]

You forgot that when you are accused of cheating and they want to check under the scarf you can cry racism and get away with it all!


10 posted on 06/13/2018 2:02:08 PM PDT by GraceG ("Q is dead, been dead a for a while...")
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To: Conan the Librarian

[ I suggest reading “Midnight Furies” (not just you kind OP, but, all).

The Hindu/Islam conflict makes the Israeli/Islam conflict look like a mild disagreement. ]

Islam has killed tens if not HUNDREDS of MILLIONS in INda over the last 1,000 years....

If India was never invaded by slam, there would be a LOT more Hindus in the world...


11 posted on 06/13/2018 2:04:27 PM PDT by GraceG ("Q is dead, been dead a for a while...")
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To: Jyotishi

Sharia scams don’t work on the previously oppressed!


12 posted on 06/13/2018 2:08:08 PM PDT by rawcatslyentist ("All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing")
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To: BenLurkin

This.

Who gets to decide to have them in Iran?

They need to be exposed and forced to answer for it.

You know they’d do this to Trump or Republicans. Turnabout’s fair play.


13 posted on 06/13/2018 2:14:13 PM PDT by Alas Babylon! (MAGAMarchOnWashington.com)
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To: Jyotishi

She should identify as a man during the chess meet.


14 posted on 06/13/2018 2:15:07 PM PDT by Sertorius (A hayseed with no Greek and dam^ proud of it)
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To: Jyotishi

PURE AWESOMENESS.

Alas our silly media never give REAL feminist heroes like this the time of day.

When I was in Iraq not one visiting reporter - including many a feisty female - gave a rat’s ass about how women were treated there. Actual, systematic paedophile rape as part of the local Islamic custom? Who cares?

They were more interested to know if any of their neighbors were Sgt Calley-stylized search and destroy rapist monsters.

It’s only “women’s rights” for America when it comes to piercing baby skulls with scissors and sucking fetus brains here and there with vacuum cleaners.


15 posted on 06/13/2018 2:15:40 PM PDT by golux
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To: Jyotishi
Good for her!
16 posted on 06/13/2018 2:16:26 PM PDT by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.)
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To: Jyotishi

Good for her!


17 posted on 06/13/2018 2:24:45 PM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: SeekAndFind

A true heroine.


18 posted on 06/13/2018 2:43:11 PM PDT by miss marmelstein
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To: Jyotishi

Bravo!


19 posted on 06/13/2018 2:43:19 PM PDT by FES0844 (SGould the allow it. Hi call the shots. IÂ’m sure Laura would have stayed Oman w)
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To: Jyotishi

If forced to have a headscarf,how about one with Cross and Star of David. On it.


20 posted on 06/13/2018 2:52:00 PM PDT by 20yearvet (they yell for more tests as long as its your money)
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