Women’s sports are a product of the West’s “dirty” culture

A senior cleric has denounced the participation of Iranian women in the Asian Games, calling it a humiliation and saying women’s sports are a product of the West’s “dirty” culture that should be shunned.

As he has done in the past, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took the opposite view — one shared by most Iranians — and praised female athletes from Iran who won medals in the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, which took place in November.

Iran’s strict laws forbid physical contact between unrelated men and women, and Iranian women are even barred from attending soccer games in which men’s teams are playing. (more…)

Iran Airs Stoning Woman’s New Confession

Friday’s broadcast was the fourth time Sakineh Mohammedi Ashtiani has been shown on TV as Tehran has faced an international outcry over the announcement that she would be stoned to death, the latest source of friction between Iran and the West.

Authorities announced her conviction in the murder case only after the uproar over the stoning sentence erupted last summer, and her lawyer — who has since been arrested — said she was never formally put on trial for the killing and was tortured into confessing. Iranian authorities could use the murder charge to justify executing Ashtiani by hanging instead of stoning. (more…)

Iranian Female Car Racer Laleh Seddigh

Born in 1977, Laleh Seddigh is an Iranian female race car driver. She races both on circuits and in rallies. She lives in Tehran and has been called the “little Schumacher”. She is recognized as the best female racer in the country. She is trained by former national champion Saeed A’rabian. Seddigh had to get special permission from a local ayatollah  in order to compete against men. Permission was granted since driving is not deemed a contact sport, and on the condition that Seddigh would confirm to dress-codes.  At 28, Laleh Seddigh was known for her stunning looks and legendary driving skills. A PhD student from Tehran, she has been nicknamed “a little Schumacher” after the German Formula One champion. She has been given the title of Iran’s best female racing driver. The story is featured in a BBC TV documentary called “Girl Racer” (Wikipedia).

CNN/Fox Reporter Rudi Bakhtiar

Rudi Bakhtiar is an Iranian-American journalist who has over a decade’s experience working for major international news outlets CNN and Fox News Channel. Bakhtiar is currently the Director of Communications for the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Rudi Bakhtiar joined FOX News Channel (FNC) as a general correspondent in January 2006, and held that role until July 2007. Prior to joining FNC, Bakhtiar worked for nine years at CNN, joining the network in 1996. During her time at the network, she held multiple positions, including anchoring on the CNN’s spin-off network, Headline News, and as a co-anchor of CNN Newsroom, a 30-minute commercial free news program designed for use in the classroom. Throughout her cable news career, she has reported on assignments from numerous countries, in addition to anchoring the start of coverage of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Personal life

Bakhtiar was born to Iranian immigrants of Bakhtiari heritage; her father died of oropharyngeal cancer in 2005. Bakhtiar has a younger brother and younger sister. Shapour Bakhtiar is Rudi Bakhtiar’s father’s uncle, the last Prime Minister of Iran under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and a great aunt of Bakhtiar’s was the Shah of Iran’s second wife (Soraya Esfandiary). Bakhtiar’s great-grandfather is named Sardar Jang (Wikipedia).

Iran Complains FIFA’s Decision to Ban Iranian women Footballers from Wearing Hijab

Iran has sent letters to five international sports organizations to complain about FIFA’s decision to ban Iranian women footballers from wearing hijab.

“The letters have been sent to heads of FIFA, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC),” Iran’s National Olympic Committee Secretary General Bahram Afsharzadeh told IRNA on Sunday.

“We have asked the heads of these international sports organizations to review and annul FIFA’s decision,” he went on to say. Last week, FIFA banned the Iranian women’s football squad wearing hijab from participating in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) which will be held from August 14 to 26 in Singapore.

“Hijab is related to the Islamic culture and Muslim women can’t take part in social activities without it,” Afsharzadeh concluded. Meanwhile, President of Iran’s Football Federation Ali Kafashian has announced that due to religious beliefs the Iranian women team will participate in the competitions only if they are allowed to observe the Islamic dress code. A total of 3,500 athletes from 170 countries will partake in the games in the 2010 Youth Summer Olympics.

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