Danish chess union chairman hopes Iran will drop hijab rule

Women at the Chess World Cup could be forced to cover their heads

Oct 3, 2016

Female participants at the Chess World Cup championships in Iran in February will be forced to wear a hijab.

The announcement has come as a surprise to Poul Jacobsen, the chairman of the Danish Chess Union.

“It is news to us,” Jacobsen told DR Nyheder. “We usually have the attitude when travelling to a championship that we should participate with respect for the places we go. This is harsh, however.”

Danes not boycotting … yet
Denmark will have no female participants at the World Cup, but there have been sharp reactions from several star female players from other countries who are threatening a boycott. Jacobsen has yet to go that far.

“The international federation has chosen to accept it,” he said. “I know that some of the female players are unhappy, and that this could mean the best woman player does not win the title.”

The location of the championship was adopted by Fide, the international chess federation, earlier this week.

“The problem is that we want a World Cup, and Iran is the only country that has offered to be the host,” said Jacobsen. “I think we should try to influence the conditions rather than not have a tournament.”

Checkmate
If the women’s World Cup participants refuse to cover themselves, they risk fines or arrest. Since the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979, it has been mandatory for women to wear headscarves in public.

TOP STORIES

Danish politicians will double life science exports in a few years

“Strategy for life science” is a policy agreement to support the pharmaceutical industry’s opportunities to double exports to DKK 350 billion towards 2030
Royal House unveils new portraits of King Frederik and Queen Mary

Ten months after Frederik went from crown prince to king, new civil portraits of the new royal couple have been taken.
“Without internationals, we wouldn’t have the people we need,” says Fujifilm

Fujifilm’s Hillerød facility thrives with a diverse workforce, employing over 1,800 people from more than 65 nationalities. Morten Munk, Director of Global Alliance Management, highlights how the company’s rapid growth relies on attracting international talent due to Denmark’s limited pool of scientific professionals.
Denmark’s green transition is world class – according to the global climate index

No country has an ambitious enough climate policy to be awarded first, second or third place in global climate policy. Denmark holds 4th-place ranking in the Climate Change Performance Index
“Now the biggest challenge is to retain internationals”, says Ferring

Mads Hougaard, senior HR director at the pharmaceutical company, explains that “it is also a challenge for society itself. I think collaboration between institutions, companies, and stakeholders could be beneficial.”
“How on earth do you learn all those lines?”

This is the question actors are often asked. Actors dread it because they always hope that their performance was what mattered most, not the mechanics of getting there

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

5 Dec: A guided tour of Christiansborg

Career

“Without internationals, we wouldn’t have the people we need,” says Fujifilm

Fujifilm’s Hillerød facility thrives with a diverse workforce, employing over 1,800 people from more than 65 nationalities. Morten Munk, Director of Global Alliance Management, highlights how the company’s rapid growth relies on attracting international talent due to Denmark’s limited pool of scientific professionals.
“Now the biggest challenge is to retain internationals”, says Ferring

Mads Hougaard, senior HR director at the pharmaceutical company, explains that “it is also a challenge for society itself. I think collaboration between institutions, companies, and stakeholders could be beneficial.”
Only 0.3% of people enrolled in the tax course are unemployed, Københavns Professionshøjskole says

According to a screening conducted by Københavns Professionshøjskole (KP) among its graduates, those with the highest chance of success in finding a job are tax specialists: after graduation, only 0.3% of people enrolled in the tax course are unemployed. Very close to them are the professionals who graduated in Midwifery (with 0.4% unemployment).

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Jobs