Not a single participant left Iran with any negative reaction. Not one said they weren't being respected, that wearing the hijab was distracting or degrading. It is a cultural tradition that has been in place for 100's of years. No need to make it a political issue/cause. Foreign participants took it in stride. It's only the media and the "politically correct" who incite a non issue.
Respect means honoring a countries tradition. If a dress code is so offensive and wearing a particular garment of clothing is not to your liking, by all means don't. By example: if you attend a formal dinner and they require pants, shoes shirt and tie, and you refuse to wear tie, well, attendance is not possible. (A tie is as much a cultural symbol as a hijab.)
The U.S.A. presently bans citizens of 6 countries from entering it's country, Israel bans 16 countries. Seems no major competition should be held in either. Of course exceptions can be made by a Government exception, but there exists no guarantees.
No, if a country hosts a world chess championship, they agree to let people from different cultures come AND CONTINUE TO LIVE ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN CULTURE (exempting illegal acts). If the host refuses to honor this, they, not the participants, are the disrespectful ones. Though it seems a Ukrainian would have a better humans rights target a lot closer to home.
@PoetRunner Where does it say "they agree to let people from different cultures come" ?
FIDE Rules ? Who says this?
This would require an act by the Government, prior to any such agreement with FIDE, by a country bidding on the Event that visas would be issued to countries on their banned lists. Are you suggesting such an agreement exists, or just implying this is the way it should be?
As far I as remember, the world is not homogeneous in culture. And as far I remember, not every rule in the world is written down.
Ah.. so it is your rule. OK. Sounds rather grand, but unfortunately it's not the way of the world. There would be few chess events anywhere if an attempt was made to enforce it.
Actually, it is a rule of common sense even a child can understand (which is why it blows my mind that the chess bigwigs of the world can't). And your counter to this rule is to enforce your own? Pot calling the kettle black, much?
And, I don't recall Iran or SA being forced to host these events. They agree to common courtesy when they accept the bid to host the event.
Chess players must follow chess rules and that's all.
It's a tremendous disrespectful act to force anything else in any other sphere, even more, threatening punishments on chess, that's totally absurd and I can't understand how can someone legitimate this religious interference in our sport.
I'm Catholic and would be totally against any attempt to force the players to play their games with a white veil, it doesn't make any sense and it doesn't matter if the white veil is comfortable and actually won't hurt their performance, it's called respect to diversity.
I saw someone comparing to wear a white veil or a hijab and to wear a tie... really bro?
Let's talk about respect:
If my country, Spain, hosts a Fide championship, muslim women could play and live according to their culture and religion, wearing their hiyabs, for example. They are NOT OBLIGED to anything.
But if the championship takes place in Saudi Arabia, not-muslim women are OBLIGED to cover their heads with a hiyab o whatever. Moreover, they won't be allowed to wear some sort of "offensive" clothes.
And I skip other facts they will be OBLIGED to do or not to do during their stay in SA.
Respect means that if you host an international event in your country, you must respect the culture of every single foreign competitor. That's it.