US Journalist Denied Interview with Iran President for Not Wearing Hijab

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DY365
Published: September 23,2022 11:54 AM
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Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi on Thursday cancelled the scheduled interview with the US journalist as she refused to wear a hijab for the interaction

September 23, 2022: Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi on Thursday cancelled the scheduled interview with the US journalist as she refused to wear a hijab for the interaction.



This comes amid massive protests in Iran that escalated after the death of a woman in police custody for breaking hijab laws.



An interview of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi with CNN's Chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour was abruptly cancelled after the journalist declined to wear the Hijab.



Taking to Twitter, Amanpour said that she was suggested to wear the headscarf but after her denial, the interview got cancelled.



In a series of tweets, the anchor said that she planned to discuss the demonstrations, which are surging in Iran, including numerous incidents where women are burning their hijabs to protest over the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, among other topics.



"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.



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But no sign of President Raisi," Amanpour said in a tweet.



She waited for 40 minutes for the President to come for the interview but was cancelled.



"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. I politely declined. We are in New York, where there is no law or tradition regarding headscarves. I pointed out that no previous



Iranian president has required this when I have interviewed them outside Iran," Amanpour said as she posted a picture of herself, without a hijab, sitting in front of an empty chair.



After Amanpour repeatedly declined to wear the Hijab, the interview, at the end, got cancelled.



"And so we walked away. The interview didn't happen. As protests continue in Iran and people are being killed, it would have been an important moment to speak with President Raisi," she tweeted.