IRAN'S ABSURD SELF-DESTRUCTIVE TYRANNIES.

Margaret "University Diaries" Soltan is no fan of Islam's male-chauvinist dress codes for women, and she notes that Iran purged an international grandmaster recently, although she'll likely find employ in Russia, as Mr Putin would no doubt like to Make Soviet Chess Grozny Again.

Iran Chess Federation on January 2 expelled veteran Iranian female chess grandmaster Mitra Hejazipour for boldly removing her scarf during the World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship in Moscow which is considered as defiance of the compulsory Islamic dress code (hijab).

"She has no place in the Islamic Republic's national team anymore," the president of Iran's Chess Federation, Mehrdad Pahlavanzadeh, announced on Thursday and claimed that Hejazipour who lives in France had privately registered for competing in Moscow games.

The Islamic Republic requires Iranian female athletes to respect the so-called Islamic dress code and hijab in all international tournaments.

The 27-year old Iranian grandmaster was expelled after gloriously playing for her homeland for eighteen years. She is the first Iranian female athlete to represent Iran without wearing the hijab In the four-decade history of the Islamic Republic.

A country that wants to indulge its prejudices should be prepared to pay the price for so doing.