Iran officials: Climber Elnaz Rekabi will not be punished for competing without hijab in South Korea - CBSSports.com site: media arena: general pageType: stories section: slug: iranian-climber-elnaz-rekabi-receives-warm-reception-at-airport-after-competing-without-hijab-in-south-korea sport: other route: article_single.us 6-keys: media/spln/other/reg/free/stories CBSSports.com 247Sports MaxPreps SportsLine Shop Play Golf Stubhub Caesars Sportsbook Play
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Talking the business of sports Podcasts Home Fantasy Football Today NFL Pick Six Cover 3 College Football Eye On College Basketball Morning Kombat The First Cut Golf Log In My Teams Organize / See All Teams Help Account Settings Log Out Iran officials Climber Elnaz Rekabi will not be punished for competing without hijab in South Korea
Rekabi was greeted with a warm reception when she returned to Iran
By Austin Nivison Oct 20, 2022 at 11:37 am ET • 2 min read Getty Images The president of the Iranian national Olympic committee has announced that climber Elnaz Rekabi will not be disciplined for competing without her hijab at an event in South Korea, per the Associated Press. Mahmoud Khosravi Vafa told the AP there was no reason to punish Rekabi because her error was "unintentional." Supporters of Rekabi remain concerned that she may endure retribution from the Iranian government, but Khosravi Vafa claimed the matter is being overblown. "It's a small issue. I'm surprised that it is being talked about so much," Khosravi Vafa said. "In our view it was not a big issue." Rekabi received a warm reception when she returned home after competing without her headscarf, per CBS News. Photos and videos from inside and outside the Tehran airport on Wednesday show swaths of people there to applaud Rekabi for her actions. With Iran in the midst of widespread, women-led protests against the laws prohibiting women from showing their hair in public, Rekabi competed in the South Korean climbing competition while not wearing her hijab. As a result, Rekabi is being seen as a hero by many in her home country. Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi returned to Iran, telling state media outside Tehran’s airport that she wanted to apologize “to the people of Iran” for causing tension, after she competed without wearing a headscarf. https://t.co/9iqByoOgFq pic.twitter.com/PlKY7OxSXJ— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) October 19, 2022 Crowds at the airport chanted, "Elnaz is a heroine," as she walked through the airport. After the images of her competing without a hijab went viral, there were concerns about Rekabi's well-being. Friends of Rekabi told CBS News senior foreign correspondent Elizabeth Palmer that she chose not to wear her hijab as a stand against Iranian rules. They also said that they had been unable to contact Rekabi after the event. Upon arriving at the airport, Rekabi spoke to Iranian state media and said that competing without her hijab was an accident. "I was suddenly and unexpectedly called on to compete while I was at the women's locker room," Rekabi said, according to BBC News. "I was busy wearing my shoes and fixing my equipment and forgot to wear my hijab, which I should have worn." Rekabi was given flowers by her family before getting into a van and departing the airport. Khosravi Vafa said Rekabi was "a guest at Iran's Olympic committee hotel for one day, along with her family." The protests were sparked when Masha Amini, 22, died after allegedly being arrested by Iran's morality police for wearing her headscarf improperly. Iranian officials say Amini died from a heart attack after being taken into custody, but her cousin, Erfan Mortezaei, told CBS News that she was tortured and killed. "She was tortured, according to eyewitnesses," Mortezaei said. "She was tortured in the van after her arrest, then tortured at the police station for half an hour, then hit on her head and she collapsed." Our Latest Stories
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