Iranian chess player Sara Khadem competed Monday at the World Blitz Championship without wearing the head covering that Iran requires for women.
The International Chess Federation posted photos of players from the event being held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, including a photo of Khadem looking down at the chess board with her hair loose around her shoulders.
Khadem is the only Iranian woman competing in the tournament.
The issue of Iranian women wearing the hijab has been in greater focus in recent months as protesters rallied against the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained in September by the Iran’s morality police for violating the country’s dress code.
In October, rock climber Elnaz Rekabi competed in South Korea without wearing a hijab, drawing attention from those who saw that as an act of solidarity with the anti-government protesters.
Upon arriving back in Tehran after the event, Rekabi told Iranian state television that competing without a hijab had been unintentional.
Source » voanews