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Indian sharpshooter boycotts Asian Airgun Shooting Championship over compulsory hijab law http://on.rt.com/7tj8 https://quitter.im/attachment/275917
- ghostDancer repeated this.
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@newsstream @ghostdancer "The hijab is a legal requirement for all Iranian women in accordance with the Muslim religion, which forbids women from showing their arms and legs or hair." This is a misrepresentation: *any* woman visiting the country is required to wear hijab, and any man should also conform to muslim dress code (equally no bare legs or arms, though lower arms and legs (below the knee) can be bare). When you visit a country - *any* country - you are subject to the law of that country, period. While I understand (and support) the boycot, the article gives a wrong idea of the context in Iran. This is not "a practice", it's the law. (BTW, if a female sportsperson would be visiting France, she would not be *allowed* to wear hijab in public...)
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@nesstream @ghostdancer and before anyone corrects me, Iranian law does make some exceptions for citizens belonging to different ethnic groups (such as Kurds or Armenians) - but not for visitors.
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@mk i understand that but being an international competition there should be an exemption. Just as a gesture.
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@ghostdancer How many countries do you know of that change their law temporarily specifically for a group of international visitors? A law is a law and you cannot 'just' change it or not apply it. In a dictatorship? maybe. But Iran is not that. I also don't see France changing their law for one occasion either. (Disclaimer: I've visited Iran twice, and would love to go back. I go for the culture and the people. Human contact is not hindered by wearing hijab - in fact if most people around you do, I would argue it may actually facilitate contact. Some Iranians have told me they think the law should have an exemption for (all) visitors - but I think that would actually cause more problems than solve any.)
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@mk they risk losing any sport competition in the future. And BTW I'd love to visit Iran and respect their law.