An Iranian chess player who defied her government's mandatory Hijab rule and defected to Spain after receiving a warning not to return home, had a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid on Wednesday.
Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, the 25-year-old chess ace better known as Sara Khadem, arrived in Spain in early January after having made a bold statement in Kazakhstan's Almaty, where she had participated in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships without wearing the Hijab, flouting Iran's strict Islamic dress codes.
"How much I have learned today from a woman who inspires me," Sanchez posted on his Twitter account after hosting Khadem at his official residence, the Moncloa Palace.
"All my support to women athletes. Your example contributes to a better world," he added.
In a footage provided by the prime minister's office, Khadem is seen chatting with Sanchez on a couch while sporting a black suit without the Hijab. They later appear to engage in a game of chess at a table.
Demonstrations against Iran's clerical leadership have swept the country since mid-September when a young 22-year-old Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, died in the custody of the morality police, which had detained her for wearing "inappropriate attire".
Laws enforcing mandatory Hijab-wearing had become a flashpoint during the unrest, with a string of competing sportswomen overseas appearing without their headscarves in public.
In a recent interview with the El Pais newspaper, Khadem – who holds the title of Woman Grandmaster – said she only used to wear the headscarf at tournaments when there were cameras because she was representing Iran.
"With the Hijab, I'm not me, I don't feel good, and so I wanted to put an end to that situation. So I decided not to wear it anymore," she said.
Khadem is ranked 771st in the world, according to the International Chess Federation's website, and 9th in Iran.
