Iran’s Long History of Oppressing Athletes

After Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi competed in South Korea without a headscarf, athletes who had previously defied the country’s theocratic regime braced for what was to come. The significance of her act was clear.

Apprehensions spiked when Rekabi briefly appeared to be missing; her friends mentioned that they were having trouble contacting her. Then a strange Instagram post attributed to her emerged explaining that her hijab had inadvertently fallen off. When she landed in Iran early on Wednesday, she was greeted by crowds hailing her decision to compete without the hijab. But…