Admin l Friday, September 23, 2022
WASHINGTON – The Hijab crisis assumed an international dimension on Wednesday at the 77th Assembly of the United Nations, when Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi bluntly refused to show up for scheduled CNN interview with its Chief International Anchor, Christiane Amanpour.
Christiane Amanpour had dressed up as required by any CNN STAFF preparing for an interview with any president and was already seated in the designated room in New York, waiting for Raisi.
But she got the shocker when Raisi sent a message through his aide who had surveyed the studio that he will not appear for the interview unless the CNN Anchor person wears the Hijab, or covers her head.
The Iranian President insisted even in the heat of the global condemnation that has been trailing the death of Mahsa Amini who died in custody of Iranian Morality Police over what has been described as improper wearing of the hijab. The protest continues in Iran today.
Amanpour had been wearing hijab while reporting the Iranian War as CNN War Correspondent as required of any reporter in Iran.
The Iranian President insisted that he will only show up for the interview if Amanpour complied.
However, the CNN Chief International Anchor sent messages to Raisi that she would not cove her head to conduct an interview with an Iranian Official outside a country where it is not required.
“Here in New York, or anywhere else outside of Irain, I have interviewed every single one of them since 1995 either inside or outside of Iran, never been asked to wear a head scarf”, Amanpour said on CNN.
