New Delhi: In a series of tweets Thursday, CNN broadcaster Christiane Amanpour said Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi cancelled an interview with the channel at the last minute after she refused to wear a headscarf.
Iran has been witnessing anti-hijab protests following the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, after she was arrested by Tehran’s morality police.
Amanpour — who was scheduled to interview Raisi in New York Wednesday evening — broke down the events that led to the cancellation of the on-camera interaction, which was also supposed to be Raisi’s first-ever interview in the US.
https://twitter.com/amanpour/
“This was going to be President Raisi’s first ever interview on US soil, during his visit to NY for UNGA. After weeks of planning and eight hours of setting up translation equipment, lights and cameras, we were ready. But no sign of President Raisi,” the senior journalist wrote in her post.
The anchor said one of the president’s aides had come over and suggested she wear a “headscarf” as it was the holy month of Muharram and Safar.
“40 minutes after the interview had been due to start, an aide came over. The president, he said, was suggesting I wear a headscarf, because it’s the holy months of Muharram and Safar,” Amanpour wrote.
‘No previous Iranian president has required this’
The British-Iranian journalist, who works as the chief international anchor for the channel, shared that she “politely declined” the president’s demand to wear the hijab and went on to explain that there was “no law or tradition” regarding headscarves in New York — the venue where the interview was scheduled to be held.
“I pointed out that no previous Iranian president has required this when I have interviewed them outside Iran,” the senior anchor noted.
Amanpour further said, “The aide made it clear that the interview would not happen if I did not wear a headscarf. He said it was “a matter of respect,” and referred to “the situation in Iran” — alluding to the protests sweeping the country.”
Raisi, the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran chosen by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is in America to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Iran’s morality police had arrested Amini for allegedly wearing an “improper hijab”. So far at least 31 civilians have died in the protests.
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