Dr. Malakeh Taleghani Endowed Graduate Fellowship Research

Parvaneh Hosseini

Fellowship research proposal: Dr. Malakeh Taleghani Endowed Graduate Fellowship in Iranian Studies

Introduction: This research aims to explore the relationship of Islamic discourse with the body politics of Iranian female athletes in the global sports context. In the sport competitions that men or cameras are present, Iranian sportswomen are required to wear clothing that covers all their body except their hands and face, that means their hair, arms, legs and even necks should be covered. In addition to Islamic dress code requirements, the view policy makers and prominent Islamic clergy on female bodies and their interpretation of “proper” body gestures of women have a huge influence in regulation of women in sports. For

The sources of power to regulate the presence (and absence) and appearance of women in sports spaces in Iran have been often the (Sharia) law of Islamic republic of Iran. However, during the last five years, the sport space in Iran is witnessing a serious question of what if religious laws are violating basic women’s rights? How does Iran negotiate with the international sports federations and authorities such as Olympics committee about human rights and gender equality in sports? Olympics committee, for example, on September 8th 2013, warned the International Wrestling federation that if it cannot guarantee gender equality in wrestling by 2020, this sport will be omitted from Olympics. In Persian media, I was the first person who published an article (September 9th, 2013) titles “The future of wrestling in the world depends on women’s presence”. I explained that as wrestling the national sport in Iran and Iran has one of the three highest ranks in the word, we need take the absence of women in wrestling very serious and start planning for

An ideal Iranian woman was portrayed as a supporting mother, wife, or sister of war veterans. It was just after the end of Iran-Iraq year when women’s sport attracted some attention, particularly as a space where an image of an active modest women as a role model for and representative of women in Islamic Iran. Faezeh Rafsenjani, daughter of Akbar Rafsenjani, then the president of Iran, founded the Women’s Islamic Games -- a multi-sport competition event in which women athletes from Islamic countries (later non-Islamic countries were added) could participate. As no men or cameras were allowed to enter the competition area, women athletes didn’t have to observe Islamic dress-code in the competitions. In 1993, Iran hosted the first Women’s Islamic Games (WIG) and later in 1997, 2001, and 2005. Thus far more than twenty five countries have won at least a single medal in the WIG and Iran received the most winning medals, with a total of 494 gold, silver, or bronze