It'd be excusable if she were, I don't know, 85 years old? But at 22, what are her parents thinking exactly? I mean I'm sure the name has a different 'meaning' to them, but . . . for fuck's sake . . .
On topic: Both Barnes and Hejazipour make good points but I think the political situation going on in the middle east might be a bigger factor in the possibility of the movement of the championship.
So what? She doesn't want to be forced to wear it so she is skipping out. Complaining about that just makes you look like an ass no matter what kind of weird ass mental gymnastics you do to paint this enforcement upon another person as something not bad. The choice lays with her and she has made hers.
Paikidze-Barnes is perfectly within her right to not participate if she feels the country's requirement infringes on her own rights here.
But Mitra Hejazipour's statement has merit too, especially considering she's the Iranian citizen, and her home country getting this kind of a tournament on the world stage is probably a big step for local women competitors.
Either way, the requirement to wear a hijab is dumb. Leave it as a personal choice, that's it.
But Mitra Hejazipour's statement has merit too, especially considering she's the Iranian citizen, and her home country getting this kind of a tournament on the world stage is probably a big step for local women competitors.
I would disagree there, as it comes across as "Well, it could be worse!"
The reasoning of "that's the way things are done there" is no different then when conservative groups in the US push for the complete ban of the hijab here.
Respecting another culture goes both ways. It means allowing others to be themselves, but drawing the line when they try to force others to conform.
If a woman wants to wear the hijab, she should be free to do so.
If a woman does not want to wear a hijab, she should be free to do so.
Someone who forces either (with the limited exception of specific safety rules in certain situations) is not respecting anything.