Sardar Pashaei, a former Iranian wrestler who won gold at the 1998 World Youth Wrestling Championships in freestyle 54kg[1][2], has compared the treatment of female athletes in Iran to what he describes as efforts to silence female athletes in the United States opposing transgender women competing in women's sports.
Pashaei told Fox News Digital he witnessed female athletes in Iran receive lashings for appearing without a hijab. He said such silencing is unacceptable.[1]
"For me, it's not really acceptable if I hear that people will be silenced when they think that something is unfair to them," Pashaei said. "I'm against silencing athletes. If they have a concern, if they think that something is not fair for them ... it should be an equal opportunity and also atmosphere that everybody can speak."[1]
Pashaei, who urged the International Olympic Committee to protect the women's category based on scientific standards for fair competition, said every athlete deserves a level playing field.[1]
A July 2024 poll commissioned by the Center Square Voters' Voice with 2,659 registered voters found 68% support for the U.S. Supreme Court upholding state bans on transgender athletes in women's sports. Support was 88% among Republicans, 49% among Democrats and 63% among independents.[3][4]
Sources
- Fox News. "Iranian wrestling champ who saw female athletes lashed in Iran rips silencing of US women in trans sports debate." July 25, 2024. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/iranian-wrestling-champ-saw-female-athletes-lashed-iran-rips-silencing-us-women-trans-sports-debate
- United World Wrestling. "1998 Cadet World Championships Freestyle Results." Accessed August 2024. https://uww.sport/event/past-competitions/1998-cadet-world-championships
- The Center Square. "Poll: 68% of voters back state bans on trans athletes in women’s sports." July 24, 2024. https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/poll-68-of-voters-back-state-bans-on-trans-athletes-in-women-s-sports/article_e5f9d2a4-49a0-11ef-9d5e-8742e91f23d4.html
- NapolitanNewsService (pollster for Center Square Voters' Voice). "Voters' Voice Poll on Transgender Athletes in Sports." July 24, 2024. https://www.napolitannewsservice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Transgender-Athletes-Poll-Memo.pdf
