Friday, September 30, 2016

Elder of Ziyon

Uproar as Iran demands women players wear hijab at chess championship

From The Telegraph:

The world's top female chess players have reacted with horror after being told they

must compete at next year's world championship wearing a hijab.

Within hours of Iran being revealed as its host country, the prestigious event was

plunged into crisis as it emerged players taking part face arrest if they don't cover up.

In response, Grandmasters lined up to say they would boycott the 64-player knock-out

and accused the game's scandal-hit governing body Fide of failing to stand up for

womens rights.

Fide's Commission for Women's Chess, meanwhile, called on participants to respect

cultural differences and accept the regulations.

The choice of Iran as the venue is even more bizarre because the US has a travel

warning to Iran.

What are American chess players to do?

CNN adds:
Iran was the only country which made a proposal to host the event, a World Chess
Federation (FIDE) spokeswoman told CNN in a statement.

She added that since there were no objections from any of the other 150 national chess
federations -- including the US -- FIDE's General Assembly accepted the proposal.

The justification for the decision by FIDE was bizarre:

Susan Polgar, the Hungarian-born American Grandmaster and chair of Fide's
Commission for Women's Chess, responded by defending the federation and saying
women should respect "cultural differences".
 She said: "I have travelled to nearly 60 countries. When I visited different places with
different cultures, I like to show my respect by dressing up in their traditional style of
clothing. No one asked me to do it. I just do it out of respect.

"I personally would have no issues with wearing a head scarf (hijab) as long as it is the
same to all players. I believe the organisers provided beautiful choices for past
participants of Women's Grand Prix.

Polgar is free to act as she wants to out of her views of respect, but to force others to do
something against their will doesn't show respect - it shows disrespect.

1. What would happen if someone who does not practice the same religion that goes to Iran.
2. Do American citizens think that wearing a religious outfit is offensive?
3. Do Iranian American practice the same religion since they're not forced to in our country as
contrast to their country.