Elnaz Rekabi Issues Apology For Competing Without Hijab: 10 Things To Know

Elnaz Rekabi, a sports climber from Iran, who recently competed without a headscarf, issued an apology on Tuesday as she was on her way back to Tehran. The athlete was travelling back from Seoul after participating in the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asian Championship. and during her task, her headscarf fell off. Rekabi, 33, was praised by those protesting against Iran's dress code after a video showed her violating Islamic laws by not covering her head during the championship. It was then speculated that she might have to face dire consequences for this when she returns back to Iran.

In an Instagram post that appeared on Tuesday, she apologised for "getting everybody worried".

Further explaining on why she competed without a headscarf she said, "Due to bad timing, and the unanticipated call for me to climb the wall, my head covering inadvertently came off."

The post added that she was on her way back to Iran "alongside the team based on the pre-arranged schedule".

Wearing the hijab is mandatory for female Iranian athletes when they compete overseas, and Rekabi’s declining to don the headscarf was widely seen as a historic show of solidarity with the women-led protests mounting in Iran.

Suggested Reading: Who Is Elnaz Rekabi? Iranian Sports Climber To Be Jailed For Competing Without Hijab

10 Things To Know About Elnaz Rekabi Incident

• Elnaz Rekabi was the first Iranian woman to have competed in the International Federation of Sports Climbing full-time in 2016.
• In 2022, she participated in the federation's Asian Championship happening in Seoul, South Korea. She came fourth in the competition this time.
• Rekabi was praised by the people who were against Iran's mandatory hijab rule for women and called her brave for her act. But on Monday after the competition, BBC Persia reported that they were unable to contact Rekabi.
• Her passport and mobile phone were also taken, per the outlet
• However, BBC Presenter Rana Rahimpour later tweeted that Rekabi was on a flight to Iran two days earlier than planned and concerns about her safety were on rise.
• In a report by BBC, an Iranian athlete said, "Other Iranian women who have competed abroad without wearing a headscarf in the past have said they came under pressure from Iranian authorities to issue similar apologies."
• A citizen journalism portal also said that Rekabi might be directly sent to Evin prison when she arrives in Tehran.
• But on the morning of Tuesday, October 18, 2022, the Iran embassy in Seoul tweeted saying, "Ms Elnaz REKABI, departed from Seoul to Iran, early morning of October 18, 2022, along with the other members of the Team. The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in South Korea strongly denies all the fake, false news and disinformation regarding Ms Elnaz REKABI."
• Even Elnaz Rekabi took to Instagram to clarify about her whereabouts, she said that despite her flight being scheduled for Wednesday, she left for home on Tuesday.
• In her statement, she mentioned that the headscarf fell off inadvertently and she apologised to everyone for worrying about her whereabouts. She also said, "Due to bad timing, and the unanticipated call for me to climb the wall, my head covering inadvertently came off."