Iranian Cyclists Endure Physical, Sexual Abuse and Bans
Sports News Blog, Kodoom.com Editorial
When it comes to cycling, Tehran is not exactly Amsterdam or Vancouver but you may be surprised to learn about the popularity of cycling among Iranians.
But Iranian roads outside big cities are known to be treacherous and numerous amateur and professional cyclists have lost their lives on these roads. Yet it is not the roads Iranian cyclists dread the most but people on the roads. According to a special report in Persian news media, cyclists lament the commonplace verbal and physical abuse they have to endure on the roads.
Hamid Soleymani describes when his cycling team mate Peyman was cursed and attacked with a knife by a driver passing by.
Vida, a female cyclist, has experienced all sorts of abuse on the roads from drivers by: Touching her back, profanities, verbal abuse, threats, accidents.
Parvaneh, another female cyclist has been punched by a driver offering his phone number after she refused to accept it : "The saddest commentary is when people tell me to be thankful because it was not more than a simple touch or verbal abuse!"
Afsaneh, another female cyclist, was sexually abused (raped?) when biking from Lahijan to Rasht by two men catching up to her on a motorcycle. Traumatized, she is now afraid of riding alone.
Mohammad Reza, a male cyclist, says people have thrown banana peels at his face or slapped him in the back of his neck while biking.
Mehrdad Adib, a cyclist, explains the challenges of finding proper bike paths in Iran. Sidewalk pedestrians and road drivers alike refuse to share their space with bicycles.
Despite great international accomplishments, female Iranian cyclists face challenges from conservative muslim clerics as well. Recently, the Morality Police and Vice Squad in the city of Shandiz, a suburb of holy city of Mashhad, issued an order banning women from cycling in public even if they wear proper Islamic hijab and cover. Pressured by powerful clerics, Morality Police has banned female cycling in several other Iranian cities. Iranian women often defy these restrictions.
UPDATE, AUGUST 5, 2020: After publication of this article, Mohammad Hossein Daroudi, a Judiciary official in Khorasan, in a statement shared with Persian news media, has denied any legal restrictions on women cycling in the holy city of Mashhad.
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