Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Iranian chess player refuses to film apology video for removing hijab

Iranian chess player refuses to film apology video for removing hijab

An Iranian chess player who played in a tournament without a hijab told The Telegraph that she fled to Spain after refusing an order by Tehran to film an apology video.
Sara Khadem is the world’s 17th best female chess player and the first Iranian woman to become an international master.

A viral photograph of Khadem competing in a tournament in Kazakhstan without a head covering made her a symbol of the country’s ongoing anti-regime protests.

The 25-year-old said she was told to blame her decision to not cover her head during the tournament on Western pressure.

“I wasn’t going to do that,” Khadem said.

Although she previously only covered her head at international tournaments during formal presentations and official photographs, she began to feel that it was hypocritical.

“This time, I felt that if I did as I was doing before, I would be disrespecting the people,” she said.

Khadem has been outspoken against her country’s government in recent years. In 2019, she expressed support for a young Iranian chess star who had refused to accept Tehran’s policy requiring players to forfeit matches against Israeli opponents.

In January 2020, Khadem announced her retirement from the national chess team in protest of Iran’s shooting down of a Ukrainian commercial plane, an incident that claimed the lives of 176 people.

She also used hashtags to express solidarity with anti-regime protesters in the wake of Mahsa Amini’s death.

Khadem, who is still in Spain with her husband and son, says she misses her parents back home, whom she said she used to visit “almost every day.”

“I hope that I will be the only one held responsible for what I did,” she said.

“We feel very welcome in Spain, but we have left some of the most important things in life in Iran, so there are mixed feelings,” she added.

Khadem hopes to break into the world’s top 10 from her new base in Spain, but she also wants to represent Iran in tournaments as an individual player, The Telegraph reported.

“I’m a chess player. I’m not a political figure. As a chess player, I have some responsibilities towards what is happening around me, but chess is the first thing in my life. I don’t see myself as an activist,” she said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
×