An Iranian rock climbing athlete became controversial for taking off her hijab while competing in South Korea recently. The woman named Elnaz Rekabi is said to have done so as a form of solidarity with the protests of many Iranians over Mahsa Amini’s death. Mahsa is suspected of being a victim of the moral police after being arrested for violating the veil rule.
Elnaz Rekabi takes off her hijab while performing on the last day of the International Federation Rock Climbing Championship match in Seoul. After that, he was gone and could not be contacted by the team when he was about to return to their country. Many people worry about his fate after performing such a bold and risky act. Some reports even suggest that he may be incarcerated.
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Previously, reports said Elnaz had been preparing for action for a month. Sources also say he’s a person who usually dares to make risky decisions. But some time ago the 33-year-old woman explained that her decision was not intentional. The public is increasingly concerned about her fate.
A few days after the news of his disappearance became a speech in the world, Elnaz was finally seen in public. A video that went viral showed him arriving at Imam Khomeini’s airport, where he was invaded by a large crowd. Contrary to what netizens thought, he was welcomed as a hero and people shouted his name after him.
In the video, Elnaz wearing a hat and hoodie to cover her hair looks fine. He received flowers from the person who greeted him. Elnaz also tried to explain what was happening in Korea even though he seemed nervous.
“Since I was busy wearing shoes and tools, it made me forget I was wearing the hijab, so I went to the game. I went back to Iran with a calm mind even though there was a lot of tension and stress. But so far, thank God, nothing happened, “he said.
Elnaz Rekabi also apologized to the audience. “I returned to Iran calmly, in good health and according to plan. I apologize to the Iranian people for the tension I have created,” Elnaz said.
Later, Elnaz was picked up from a car. An IranWire report stated that he would be transferred to prison, but this has not been confirmed. The Rock Climbing Federation itself said it would continue to monitor the athlete’s situation and contact him after arriving in his home country. But they refused to discuss the Instagram post as to why Elnaz opened the hijab.
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