Kimia Alizadeh – Team Melli

TAEKWONDO star Kimia Alizadeh Zenoorin won 57kg bronze to become Iran’s first ever female Olympic medalist.

The teen beat Nikita Glasnovic of Sweden 5-1 after winning her repechage match with Thailand’s Phannapa Harnsujin 14-10. Alizadeh narrowly missed the chance to make it all the way to the final after losing by a singly point margin to the Spanish player. Alizadeh has already won a gold medal in the World Youth Olympics and is detained to have a bright future in the sport of Taekwondo.

*Kimia Alizadeh Zenoorin made history by landing bronze in Rio*

Iranian teen beat Sweden's Nikita Glasnovic to medal — *Iranian teen beat Sweden’s Nikita Glasnovic to medal*

After her historic triumph, 18-year-old Alizadeh said: “I wish I had made history with a gold medal.

“I thank God that I made history with my bronze to pave the way for other Iranian women.

“I am very excited and I want to thank my parents and my coach. They really stand behind me and I am so happy.”

Zenoorin joins champions Jade Jones on the podium — *Kimia Alizadeh joins champion Jade Jones on the podium*

*No Iranian woman has ever won an Olympic medal*

Alizadeh had lost 8-7 in the quarter-finals to Eva Calvo Gomez of Spain but was handed a repechage place once the Spaniard made the final, where she lost to Team GB’s Jade Jones.Welsh wonder Jones came through 16-7 after a thrilling match to defend her London 2012 title.

It’s a strong signifier in favor of gender equality under the flag of a nation notorious for its harsh, discriminatory treatment of women. One small example: Women are not even permitted in the stadiums where all-male athletic events are taking place, a state of affairs highlighted by a protestor at the Olympics earlier this week. Women in Iran are forced by law to cover their hair and all their body, those who disobey are prosecuted . The International Olympic Committee gave tacit approval to a sign that read “Let Iranian Women Enter Their Stadiums” held up by a protestor at volleyball games. Despite Iranian women playing a major role in the society and the high regard they always had throughout the history, the Islamic republic always curtailed their activities and relegated them to the second division of the society.

Iran has already won 2 gold medals in Weightlifting by Rostami and Moradi, and 2 bronze in Greco-Roman wrestling. Alizadeh’s Bronze is the fifth for Iran in the Rio Olympic Games 2016.

Ayatollah Nasser Makarim-Shirazi , one of the Shia Grand Ayatollahs, declared that “there is no need at all for women to attend sport matches in the stadiums and arenas.” The Ayatollah, who was addressing the head of the ethics committee of the Football Federation FFIRI on Tuesday, added” We know that presence of women and men in stadiums will create problems. Moral corruption will spread because it is difficult to control such space..”

“We should not insist on the issue of allowing women in the stadia. We should not be terrorized (…) by Western values and follow whatever they say. We must protect our Islamic values. We must remain independent and we should not do whatever they demand.”

Makarim-Shirazi added “since these sport events have originated from the west , habits associated with its are also brought to our country. They want to bring their low morality to us with their sport. “

The Grand Ayatollahs, not only does not believe that the marriage of convenience or “Sigheh” sometimes referred to as temporary marriage , is not spreading moral corruption and is not an insult to women’s dignity and virtue, but it is also strongly promoted within the religious hierarchy in Iran. However, the presence of a woman in a sport event is seen as spreading and promoting moral corruption!!!

For the record, the Iranian Kimia Alizadeh won Iran’s first ever medal in the World Taekwondo Championships.

The 57kg woman player claimed a bronze medal in the 2015 World Taekwondo Championships in Russia on Monday.

Iran and Saudi Arabia share the ignominy of barring women attending sport events.

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Kimia Alizadeh becomes first ever Iranian woman medal winner at Olympic games

The Ayatollah censures women attending sports events in Iran.