Iranian Women's Muay Thai Team Competes Without Mandatory Hijab in Tashkent; Reactions: 'Legal Action' Will Be Taken

Following the release of a video showing some members of the Iranian Muay Thai team participating without the mandatory hijab at the Asian Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the head of the Iranian Martial Arts Federation stated that their participation 'has nothing to do with the federation.' Youssef Behtari, president of the Martial Arts Federation, described the act as 'norm-breaking' in an interview with ISNA on Sunday, September 5, stating that the federation 'has no information regarding this matter,' but 'if the participants are members of the national team, they will definitely be summoned to the disciplinary committee and we will take legal action against them.' Behtari also told Fars News Agency that there have been 'several' previous participations in competitions in 'Abu Dhabi and Turkey' that were accompanied by 'controversies,' asserting that these participations 'have nothing to do with the martial arts federation.' He deemed the presence of Iranian female Muay Thai athletes without the mandatory hijab at the Asian Championships in Tashkent as 'not befitting the name of Iran' and referred to Javad Nasiri and the Muay Thai Association as 'autonomous,' stating that 'they have declared independence' and 'the Ministry of Sports needs to clarify our position and that of these sports.' Meanwhile, Javad Nasiri, head of the Iranian Muay Thai Association, questioned the legitimacy of the competition, calling it 'made up' and stating that 'this competition is not valid at all' and 'is not the Asian Championship.' According to Hamshahri newspaper, Nasiri denied any connection between the team sent to Tashkent and the Muay Thai Association he leads, adding that 'this team is in contact behind the scenes with the Martial Arts Federation.' In recent months, Iranian female athletes have repeatedly supported nationwide protests and appeared without the mandatory hijab at international sporting events following the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody of the morality police. For instance, Faghihyeh Radmanesh, an Iranian athlete, wrote the slogan 'Women, Life, Freedom' on her face while winning third place at an international Muay Thai competition in Turkey. Additionally, Elnaz Rekabi participated in the Asian Rock Climbing Championships in South Korea without the mandatory hijab. Although Rekabi later described her act as 'accidental,' some users interpreted the term 'accidental' as being under pressure from government entities. Previously, John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council at the White House, stated that 'after the death of Mahsa Amini and the popular protests, the people of Iran should now be able to make decisions for themselves and women should choose their own attire.'