Elnaz Rekabi came back to his homeland and spoke to the media.
Elnaz Rekabi commented to the media about not wearing a headscarf. EPA / AOP
The Iranian climber who made headlines Elnaz Rekabi appeared on Wednesday morning on his country’s television. Rekabi was photographed at Tehran airport wearing a black cap and hoodie. She answered reporters’ questions with her hair covered.
Rekabi competed in the Asian championships in South Korea on Sunday. During her sports performance, she did not wear the hijab scarf that is mandatory for women in Muslim countries.
The act was suspected to be a protest, because in September in Iran, a 22-year-old woman died from injuries received from the police. The chastity police had arrested the woman without a hijab scarf. In the country, a large demonstration about the scarf ban began after the incident became public.
On Tuesday night, Rekabi apologized on Instagram for competing without a hijab. He said that the scarf had fallen by accident before the sports performance.
Many suspected that the apology was not written voluntarily.
A hero’s welcome
At the airport, Rekabi received a heroic welcome. The public had gathered to receive the climber. People shouted Rekab’s name when he commented on not wearing a scarf in the race.
– I forgot to put a scarf on my head before the race because I was in a hurry to tie my shoes and equipment, Rekabi told local media, according to the Guardian.
– I came back to Iran with calm intentions, even though I was stressed and nervous. Fortunately, nothing happened.
After the interview session, Rekabi entered the van, in which he traveled towards an unknown destination.
The BBC reported, citing an anonymous source, that the Iranian authorities had confiscated Rekab’s phone and passport after the championships. The country’s embassy in South Korea denied the information in a tweet.
More than 200 people are believed to have died and thousands have been detained in protests over women’s headscarf bans in Iran.