Journalist refuses to interview Iran Prez Ebraham Raisi for being asked to wear headscarf
India Today
Christiane Amanpour, who is the Chief International Anchor for CNN, said she wanted to interview President Raisi, who was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly meeting, about the protests in Iran.
A British-Iranian journalist, who wanted to interview Iranian President Ebraham Raisi about the protests in Iran over the alleged death of a woman by the "morality police", refused to interview him after his aide insisted that she wear the headscarf.
Taking to her Twitter handle, Christiane Amanpour, who is the Chief International Anchor for CNN, said she wanted to interview President Raisi, who was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly meeting, about the protests. "This was going to be President Raisi’s first ever interview on US soil," said 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. 2/7
Amanpour said they had been planning for weeks for the interview. They were ready to go on air after putting in eight hours into setting up the translation equipment and putting the lights and cameras in place but there was no sign of President Raisi.
The senior journalist added that 40 minutes after the interview was scheduled to start, an aide came over who said the President suggested that she wear a headscarf since the holy months of Muharram and Safar are on. Amanpour refused to entertain the plea.
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. 4/7
According to Amanpour, the aide of the President made it clear that the interview would not take place if she did not wear the headscarf. "He said it was “a matter of respect,” and referred to “the situation in Iran” - alluding to the protests sweeping the country," she tweeted adding that she could not agree to this "unprecedented" and "unexpected" condition.
