'I Loosened My Hijab at a Chess Championship. Now I’m Afraid to Return to Iran.'
By Opinion
Published 4 years ago on
February 18, 2020
Share
[aggregation-styles]
The Washington Post Subscription
Religious indoctrination starts early in Iran, when you are forced at school to learn the Koran. I was a dutiful student, praying assiduously while wearing a loose, ugly school uniform, with my hair hidden under a big scarf. At age 8, I even won a prize for fasting.
At 9, I was introduced by my father to the beautiful game of chess, beloved by ancient Persian poets. Chess requires logic and critical thinking — not faith. Slowly, in my teens, I began to question why, if God is fair, is there so much pain and suffering in the world?
Even if my faith was fading, as a woman in Iran I had no choice but to tolerate the hijab — the Islamic emblem of constant, misogynistic oppression. I avoided looking at myself in mirrors. Wearing the head-covering was torment enough. When traveling abroad for chess tournaments, I admired the young women from other countries who wore nice clothes, their hair beautifully styled. I gradually began to spend more time in front of the mirror, trying to find ways, within the confines of my fabric prison, to appear normal.
Read More →
The Washington Post Subscription
Religious indoctrination starts early in Iran, when you are forced at school to learn the Koran. I was a dutiful student, praying assiduously while wearing a loose, ugly school uniform, with my hair hidden under a big scarf. At age 8, I even won a prize for fasting.
At 9, I was introduced by my father to the beautiful game of chess, beloved by ancient Persian poets. Chess requires logic and critical thinking — not faith. Slowly, in my teens, I began to question why, if God is fair, is there so much pain and suffering in the world?
Even if my faith was fading, as a woman in Iran I had no choice but to tolerate the hijab — the Islamic emblem of constant, misogynistic oppression. I avoided looking at myself in mirrors. Wearing the head-covering was torment enough. When traveling abroad for chess tournaments, I admired the young women from other countries who wore nice clothes, their hair beautifully styled. I gradually began to spend more time in front of the mirror, trying to find ways, within the confines of my fabric prison, to appear normal.
Read More →
By Shohreh Bayat | 17 Feb 2020
Shohreh Bayat is an arbiter for the International Chess Federation.
RELATED TOPICS:
No data was found
Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month
Economy /
2 hours ago
A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution
Politics /
2 hours ago
UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza
World /
2 hours ago
Ex-Correctional Officer at Women’s Prison in California Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmates
Crime /
6 hours ago
Caitlin Clark and Iowa Draw Nearly 5 Million Viewers for Second-Round NCAA Win
Sports /
6 hours ago
Cronenworth’s Big Hit Helps Lift the Padres to a 6-4 Win Over Melvin’s Giants
SAN DIEGO — Jake Cronenworth’s two-run double highlighted a four-run seventh inning for the San Diego Padres, who beat the San Francis...
Sports /
52 mins ago
Categories
Latest
Videos
Sports /
52 mins ago
Cronenworth’s Big Hit Helps Lift the Padres to a 6-4 Win Over Melvin’s Giants
Sports /
1 hour ago
Shohei Ohtani Reaches 3 Times in Home Debut as the Dodgers Rout the Cardinals 7-1
Tech /
1 hour ago
Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content
Economy /
2 hours ago
Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month
Politics /
2 hours ago
A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution
World /
2 hours ago
UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza
Business /
1 day ago
Wired Wednesday: How Going to Work for Trump Turned Devin Nunes Into a Millionaire
Video /
1 week ago
News Minute: Snell’s $62M Giants Contract, Boomtown Clovis, Banksy’s Latest Mural
Latest /
1 week ago