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Indian chess star refuses to wear headscarf, pulls out of event in Islamic Republic of Iran

Jun 13, 2018 10:11 am By Robert Spencer

Brava, Soumya Swaminathan. The mainstream media and Islamic victimhood propaganda groups are constantly preoccupied with the supposed plight of women who wear hijab in the U.S., who, they claim, are routinely harassed and victimized. The women who are really harassed and victimized, however, are those who dare not to wear hijab in countries such as Iran. Where was the media’s concern for Aqsa Parvez? Her Muslim father choked her to death with her hijab after she refused to wear it. Or for Aqsa and Amina Muse Ali, a Christian woman in Somalia whom Muslims murdered because she wasn’t wearing a hijab? They showed no concern for the 40 women who were murdered in Iraq in 2007 for not wearing the hijab; or for Alya Al-Safar, whose Muslim cousin threatened to kill her and harm her family because she stopped wearing the hijab in Britain; or for Amira Osman Hamid, who faced whipping in Sudan for refusing to wear the hijab; or for the Egyptian girl, also named Amira, who committed suicide after being brutalized by her family for refusing to wear the hijab; or for the Muslim and non-Muslim teachers at the Islamic College of South Australia who were told they had to wear the hijab or be fired; or for the women in Chechnya whom police shot with paintballs because they weren’t wearing hijab; or for the women in Chechnya who were threatened by men with automatic rifles for not wearing hijab; or for the elementary school teachers in Tunisia who were threatened with death for not wearing hijab; or for the Syrian schoolgirls who were forbidden to go to school unless they wore hijab; or for the women in Gaza whom Hamas has forced to wear hijab; or for the women in Iran who protested against the regime, even before the recent uprising, by daring to take off their hijabs; or for the women in London whom Muslim thugs threatened to murder if they didn’t wear hijab; or for the anonymous young Muslim woman who doffed her hijab outside her home and started living a double life in fear of her parents; or for the fifteen girls in Saudi Arabia who were killed when the religious police wouldn’t let them leave their burning school building because they had taken off their hijabs in their all-female environment; or for the girl in Italy whose mother shaved her head for not wearing hijab; or for all the other women and girls who have been killed or threatened, or who live in fear for daring not to wear the hijab.

Courageous women in the Islamic Republic of Iran are taking off their hijabs as a sign of resistance to the oppressive Sharia regime under which they live, and at least 29 women have been arrested for doing so. Who is standing in solidarity with them?

“Indian Chess Star Soumya Swaminathan Refuses To Wear Headscarf, Withdraws From Iran Event,” by Tanya Rudra, NDTV, June 13, 2018:

Woman Grandmaster and former world junior girls’ champion Soumya Swaminathan has refused to participate in the Asian Team Chess Championship, to be held in Hamadan, Iran, from July 26 to August 4, because of the compulsory-headscarf rule in the country which she said violated her personal rights. She took to her Facebook page to say, “I find the Iranian law of compulsory Headscarf to be in direct violation of my basic Human Rights including my right to freedom of expression, and right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. It seems that under the present circumstances, the only way for me to protect my rights is not to go to Iran.” She further said that the religious dress codes should not be imposed on players.

“I understand the organisers expecting us to wear our National Team Dress or Formals or Sporting attire for our games during official championships, but surely there is no place for an enforceable religious dress code in Sports,” she added….

Here is what Soumya Swaminathan wrote on her Facebook page about her decision.

“I am very sorry to state that I have asked to be excused from the Indian Women’s team for the forthcoming Asian Nations Cup ( Asian Team ) Chess Championship 2018, to be held at Iran from 26 July – 4 Aug 2018, as I do not wish to be forced to wear a Headscarf or Burkha. I find the Iranian law of compulsory Headscarf to be in direct violation of my basic Human Rights including my right to freedom of expression, and right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. It seems that under the present circumstances, the only way for me to protect my rights is not to go to Iran.

I am very disappointed to see that player’s rights and welfare are given such less importance while allotting and/or organising official championships. I understand the organisers expecting us to wear our National Team Dress or Formals or Sporting attire for our games during official championships, but surely there is no place for an enforceable religious dress code in Sports.

It is a huge honour for me to represent India everytime I am selected in the National Team and I deeply regret that I will be unable to participate in such an important championship. While we sportspersons are willing to make several adjustments for the sake of our sport, always giving it top priority in our life, some things simply cannot be compromised.”…

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Filed Under: anti-dhimmitude, India, Iran, Islamic supremacism Tagged With: Soumya Swaminathan


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Comments

  1. Keys says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 10:30 am

    Wear a head scarf, take off your shoes, provide prayer time on the job, don’t eat in public during Ramadan, install feet washing stations for prayer ablutions, don’t serve pork, offer hallal meats at all grocery stores, allow public loud speakers for prayer calls …… and on and on until finally ….. convert to Islam or pay jizya and feel subdued, …… until ultimately convert or die !

    To hell with Islam !

  2. cornelius says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 10:42 am

    Remarkable display of courage and conviction, Western feminists could learn a lot from her.

    • rezali Mehil says

      Jun 13, 2018 at 3:59 pm

      Western feminists are men haters and lack courage and conviction and want to bully and dictate…
      Graven is possibly the best example of this on this site….

      More Later ….

      Rezali

      • Ashley says

        Jun 13, 2018 at 7:14 pm

        You’re a fool, Rezali.

        More Later, fool…

      • gravenimage says

        Jun 13, 2018 at 8:10 pm

        The vile rezali Mehil wrote:

        Western feminists are men haters and lack courage and conviction and want to bully and dictate…
        Graven is possibly the best example of this on this site….
        ………………………

        rezali Mehil has made the claim before that not wanting to submit to the horrors of Islam makes one a “bully”. Talk about projection! And where have I lacked courage and conviction? I have quite consistently opposed the barbarism of Islam.

        She has also made the grotesque assertion that since I have noted that my beloved husband does not beat or threaten to “Honor Kill” me that this somehow means that I am abusing him.

        This just shows that Muslims have *no concept* of love, equality, and mutual respect.

        And anyone who knows the slightest thing about my posting history here knows that the claim that I “hate men” is ludicrous–I have voiced my respect for many men here, including Robert Spencer who runs this site, and Cornelius himself.

        More:

        More Later ….

        Rezali
        ………………………

        Yes–this nasty Muslimah keeps showing up here and lying like a rug.

        • 6woods says

          Jun 13, 2018 at 8:55 pm

          She/it is trash. Why even bother responding to this arrogant waste of skin?

      • Keys says

        Jun 13, 2018 at 9:47 pm

        Your post is calumny, rezali. Why have you slandered gravenimage ?

        Obviously you can not stand the truth she speaks and can not refute what she says.

        • gravenimage says

          Jun 14, 2018 at 8:44 pm

          Thank you, Keys.

      • Karen says

        Jun 14, 2018 at 9:20 pm

        What a foolish statement. I guess if a person has nothing worth saying about the topic at hand they just throw some random garbage. Your tiresome attack convinced no one of anything.

      • Roderick MacUalraig says

        Jun 15, 2018 at 1:00 am

        You think your so much better than everybody. Why not leave the supremacism behind and join us?

  3. Shmoovie says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 10:49 am

    Yes– Bravo! to this intelligent young woman for refusing to wear a covering designed to indicate her status as an inferior in the islamic world.
    Iran seems an incredibly stupid choice of location for any contests/championships in which women will compete.

    • mike9a says

      Jun 13, 2018 at 11:44 am

      Iran seems an incredibly stupid choice.Period! For man or women. Why virtue signalling to most opressed system and believe on this speck of dust in the universe.

  4. Rarely says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 11:01 am

    My hat is off to her.
    Pretty stupid of the organizers to schedule an Asian chess tourney in a country that automatically excludes some of the best players in the region.

  5. Ren says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 11:42 am

    Islam is fascism.

    • aguysomewhere says

      Jun 13, 2018 at 2:59 pm

      Indeed.

  6. Mirren10 says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 11:47 am

    ” … some things simply cannot be compromised.”…

    Absolutely right !

    Well done, Soumya Swaminathan. It’s good to see someone of integrity, and who isn’t afraid to proclaim it, either.

    I’ve written her a letter of congratulation, addressed to the Asian Team Chess Championship, I hope she gets it.

    • gravenimage says

      Jun 13, 2018 at 8:15 pm

      Yay!

  7. Georg says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 12:52 pm

    Good on her. The Swedish “feminists” could learn something.

  8. b.a. freeman says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 1:18 pm

    wow.

    this young woman is not only brave, she is smart; she recognizes that she must not give an inch to the islamic thugs running persia. only another thug would respect such bulls**t rules. i’m looking at U, mr. obama, and U as well, ms. clinton.

  9. Goutam says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 2:12 pm

    Bravo, young lady!

    How refreshing to see someone refusing to bow down to abject bullism and intimidation, all in the name of religious rights. Enforcing the hijab is nothing but a cunning way to impose sharia compliant behaviour, even on non-Muslims. Kudos to the young lady!

    At the same time, I am fully confident that the entrenched libtards of Indian media will now try and discover new ways to harass her. Any kind of perversions – you can always count upon the liberal scoundrels.

  10. Walter Sieruk says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 2:46 pm

    When it come to that Islamic tyranny of Iran and its oppression of girls and women is actually far worse then forcing females to wear headscarfs .
    First ,about that ruthless cruel brutal tyrannical regime of Iran what so unfittingly has the word “Republic” in its title ,for its called “ The Islamic Republic of Iran” [ I R I]. On the topic of this Islamic tyranny a former Muslim revealed that “The IRI system recognizes women as dependent upon men and incomplete human beings who need to be supervised and controlled by men and the State. This author further exposed that “Women are created for the purposes of giving pleasure to men and child bearing – functions that confine them to the home” This is a male Chauvinistic as can possibly be. In addition this writer further makes it known that “The IRI legal system still retains traditional patriarchal bias that can be described as nothing but systemic subordination of women , which is undoubtedly a human rights violation . [1] This heinous Islamic has been also exposed by another author who was born and lived in a Middle Eastern nation for many years. She wrote “Female freedom and independence is one of the greatest sins in Islam…” and “Women in Islam are considered unclean, deemed inferior even to dirt.” [2] All this is wicked, unjust and misogynistic to the extreme. Islam had not regard for human life , regardless of what the apologists for this religion will claim.

    [1] THE ISLAM IN ISLAMIC TERRORISM BY Ibn Warraq. pages 345, 346.
    [2] THEY MUST BE STOPPED by Brigitte Gabriel pages 62, 172

    • AleX says

      Jun 13, 2018 at 11:13 pm

      Islamic Republic is a contradiction in terms.
      Islam and Republic are opposing forms of government, while the first is a parasitic establishment based on exploitation of the dhimma and other religious minorities.
      A Republic may have a Constitution while Islam has none.

  11. steve slagle says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 2:50 pm

    where can I send her some cash!!

  12. Jaladhi says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 2:52 pm

    Bravo Soumya Swaminathan – you have set an example how not submit to Islamic imperialism. These Western “feminists” should take note and denounce the enforcement of Islamic dress code on the visitors from non-Muslim countries – no they won’t do that and gladly submit to their demands!!

  13. American says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 3:05 pm

    So very proud of this young lady! It must have been tough for her not to do something that she earned so rightfully, but easy for her not to compromise her values! Her parents must be so very proud because I know I am!

  14. Z says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 3:31 pm

    No wonder she’s good at chess. She’s smart to not go to Iran

  15. JewsAreBetterThanMuz says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 4:22 pm

    brava, sweet girl!!

  16. mgoldberg says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 5:21 pm

    This story bring me back to the story about Oriana Falacci, the inspiration for many of todays anti jihadists.
    Interviewed by Khomeini in tehran in 1981, she was brought to his quarters and had to wear the ful niqab and the rest of the black bag. Khomeini began to lecture her on the freedoms for women in Islam, and if I remember correctly, she ripped off the niqab, and defiantly cocked her arms on her hips, with his bodyguards pointing their ak 47’s at her, and Khomeini who never showed laughter in public, smiling, and pulling the guns down from his bodyguards.

    Their is no other choice for anyone except to defy Islam, defy Sharia and expose it wherever it is pandered too.

    • gravenimage says

      Jun 13, 2018 at 8:42 pm

      +1

  17. gravenimage says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 7:56 pm

    Indian chess star refuses to wear headscarf, pulls out of event in Islamic Republic of Iran
    ………………………..

    Good for Soumya Swaminathan–and kudos to her for making it plain that this is about human rights!

  18. IndianTiger says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 9:08 pm

    Bravo! As an Indian I am proud of your action. Never give in to islamic thugs.

  19. infidel says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 9:46 pm

    No doubt she has been courageous.. but expect her to be gradually sidelined by the powers that be in Indian chess..

  20. Lydia Church says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 9:57 pm

    Yes, never cave to bad agendas.
    Stand up for your rights!

  21. AleX says

    Jun 13, 2018 at 11:02 pm

    Amongst known chess engines, Rybka would surely qualify for a compulsory burka wearing during a chess championship in Iran.
    And btw, dumb mohomot hated chess.

    • Giacomo Latta says

      Jun 14, 2018 at 2:26 pm

      Probably because he got his ass kicked too many times.

  22. Johm says

    Jun 14, 2018 at 4:31 am

    You go girl ! Iran don’t want to wear its own stupid head scarf much less take away your human rights !

  23. Steve Brown says

    Jun 14, 2018 at 9:51 am

    When we accommodate certain Islamic practices, especially when those practices are applied to non-Muslims we are NOT so much accommodating but implicitly agreeing to the validity of those religious practices. THAT is what I object to no matter which religion or ideology is at the center of the matter.

  24. Roderick MacUalraig says

    Jun 14, 2018 at 12:15 pm

    Good for this young lady. A brilliant chess player and a warrior.

  25. Sharyati says

    Jun 14, 2018 at 1:18 pm

    Bravo girl for standing up to the worlds biggest Shia terrorist. But i am afraid for her. The vested leftist scoundrels and other “Prayer cap” wearing Iftaar party attending political scoundrels will not leave this girl alone and blame her for being a Hindu right wing member and “Not secular(The most puke worthy word in in the English language as understood in India today)”. She will be blamed for not being liberal to wear the Hijab and sidelined from the team. It has happened earlier and is bound to happen now. I wish her well and i hope against hope that such a thing will not happen. Sad!!!

    • Cicero says

      Jun 14, 2018 at 4:18 pm

      Indians should express their support for this young woman. Just as they must support Atul Kochhar the famous Indian chef Atul Kochhar who was sacked for expressing an opinion about Islamic history in India.

  26. Ragdoll says

    Jun 14, 2018 at 2:15 pm

    Well done for her brave and eloquent stand against the mandatory headscarf! We could use a lot more people with spine like that.

    Slightly off topic but, taken from the article, does anyone else LOVE that there is a place called ‘Hamadan’ in Iran??

  27. underbed cat says

    Jun 14, 2018 at 8:31 pm

    The acts of independent thought are awesome, but I know that in India she may need protection. She is a beautiful smart young woman very brave.

  28. peter says

    Jun 14, 2018 at 10:55 pm

    Kudos to Ms Swaminathan .I wish at least 1% of the people of he world had your courage ,integrity and snartness then we would not have been in the mess we are today .Way to go .God bless .

  29. Chand says

    Jun 15, 2018 at 4:52 am

    Every one has the choice over his/her head dress or whether to leave it uncovered.

    • Sharyati says

      Jun 15, 2018 at 8:59 am

      So does the same choice apply for any lady in Iran Chand? You would have seen a lady from Iran standing on a stone(??or what was it??) and removing the Hijab and celebrating freedom? Does Iran allow that choice to this lady? For that matter does any Sharia abiding country allow that for Women? This choice was there because India has a Kafir(Hindu) majority and the government is secular. Would the same choice be there if India was a Sharia country?

    • Sharyati says

      Jun 15, 2018 at 9:01 am

      Also why does Iran enforce on her? Does this not imply that under a Sharia state(Sunni or Shia) all women including Kafir women do not have a choice?

  30. FYI says

    Jun 15, 2018 at 7:30 am

    allah/mo apparently doesn’t like chess:something to do with pigs…(as usual)..

    sahih muslim 5612

    It’s strange how allah/mo doesn’t like reason..or logic…..or understand theology..

    surely chess is a perfect game of strategy:obviously not for “perfect” mo.

  31. Matthieu Baudin says

    Jun 15, 2018 at 7:49 am

    “… Courageous women in the Islamic Republic of Iran are taking off their hijabs as a sign of resistance to the oppressive Sharia regime under which they live, and at least 29 women have been arrested for doing so. Who is standing in solidarity with them?…”

    I’m standing in solidarity with them and take every opportunity, outside of this website, to draw attention to the depraved treatment that is dished out in prison to these unfortunate women. Of course the men who stand up to oppose the theocracy fare no better, just tortured and sometimes killed in different ways. It plays with the conscience when considering whether or not to encourage the young people of Iran to protest knowing how ruthless and sadistic the prison authorities are in that unholy despotism.

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