Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has expressed admiration for Iranian chess player Sara Khadem, who recently competed in an international tournament without wearing a hijab.
Khadem, also known as Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, has defected to Spain due to concerns about returning to Iran. Sánchez shared photos on Twitter of a chess match between himself and Khadem in Madrid, noting her absence of a hijab.
“Today, I learned so much from a woman who truly inspires me, Grandmaster Sara Khadem,” Sánchez tweeted. “My full support goes to women athletes. Your example is making the world a better place.”
In December, Khadem was photographed without a hijab at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan. This move was important as the hijab is mandatory in Iran.
Her decision came in the midst of widespread protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in mid-September after being detained by morality police for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code.
Khadem, ranked ninth among Iranian players, is one of several female athletes to have appeared in public without a hijab since the protests began.
In October, Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi competed in South Korea without a hijab, later claiming it had come off by accident—though there is uncertainty about whether her comments were made under pressure.
In November, Iranian archer Parmida Ghasemi showed support for the protests by removing her hijab during an awards ceremony in Tehran, claiming it fell off without her noticing.
Iran’s deputy sports minister Maryam Kazemipour responded by stating that athletes who violated Islamic dress codes “regretted” their actions and sought to make amends.
In 2020, Iranian chess referee Shohreh Bayat faced backlash for not wearing a hijab at the Women’s World Chess Championship, leading to her staying abroad out of fear of repercussions.
Khadem explained to Spanish newspaper El País that she had never worn a hijab willingly and only did so to represent Iran. “I always felt uncomfortable not being myself, so I decided to stop pretending,” she said.