Iranian chess player Sara Kadem (25), who participated in an메이저놀이터 international tournament without wearing a hijab, obtained Spanish nationality to avoid retaliation from her home country.
On the 26th (local time), Spanish media El Pais quoted the remarks of Pilar Job, Spain’s Minister of Justice, and said, “The Spanish Ministry of Justice granted Sara Cadem Spanish nationality and citizenship in consideration of her special circumstances.”
Previously, Kadem participated without wearing a hijab at the ‘World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship’ of the International Chess Federation ( FIDE ) held in Almaty, Kazakhstan last December.
At the time, local Iranian media also reported Kadem not wearing a hijab. Kadem, born in 1997, was ranked 804th in the world and participated in both rapid and blitz categories.
The world media praised Khadem’s courage, but feared that he and his family would face retaliation from the government if he returned to Iran. Because of this, Kadem refused to return to his home country of Iran after the international match ended and moved straight to Spain.
The Spanish media said, “We are well aware that if Kadem returns to Iran, his life will be in danger due to the publicity of photos without hijab.” “The Kadem couple owns an apartment in Spain, but due to safety concerns, They do not want to disclose their location.”
Kadem met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in January. He has been in exile in Spain for about a month. Prime Minister Sanchez applauded his courage.
After the interview, Prime Minister Sanchez expressed his feelings on Twitter, saying, “I don’t know how much I learned from a female athlete who left a deep impression on me.” He then wrote to Kadem, “Your case has contributed to making the world a better place,” and “I send support to all female players.”
In the video provided by the Prime Minister’s Office that day, she chatted with Prime Minister Sanchez while sitting on a sofa in a black suit with Kadem not wearing a hijab. Afterwards, he sat across the table with Prime Minister Sanchez and had a chess match. Both of them had a friendly expression throughout.