Iranian skier makes appeal for women’s rights in her country

Iranian skier Forough Abbasi accomplished one goal Thursday merely by completing her giant slalom run at the skiing world championships.

It made no difference to her that she crossed the finish line nearly 25 seconds behind American favorite Mikaela Shiffrin, the first-run leader.

Still, Abbasi was just getting started.

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The 27-year-old Abbasi then made an emotional appeal for women’s rights in her country after her coach, Samira Zargari, was banned from leaving Iran by her husband

Under Iranian law, husbands can stop their wives from traveling outside of country.

“It’s not the first time,” Abbasi said. “We had the same problem before this. But I wish we can change it — all the women in Iran, all together, I wish we could change it. We are trying. I’m sure the strong women can for sure change these rules and she will be stronger than before. We are proud of her, really.”

Abbasi said Zargari’s husband was born in the United States and grew up there but is a Turkish national.

“He just lives in Iran like five-six years,” Abbasi said. “He just knows the rules in Iran.”

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Abbasi said her coach is a “really a strong woman” and that she’s “sure she can be more stronger from that.”

Zargari is not the first married athlete whose husband prevented her from leaving Iran. In 2015, soccer player Niloufar Ardalan missed the Asian Cup tournament in futsal — an indoor version of soccer — after her husband confiscated her passport in a domestic dispute.

Women’s sports largely disappeared from Iran after the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Over time, however, they gained in popularity, especially soccer. Social customs still come into the game, though, as the country’s soccer team plays its matches with players’ hair covered by traditional headscarves, or hijabs.

Two Islamic countries make the headscarf mandatory for women in public — Iran and Saudi Arabia. FIFA overturned a yearlong ban against players wearing hijabs in 2012.

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Abbasi — one of eight Iranians (four women and four men) competing in Cortina — said she is free to drive, travel, train and race in Iran.

“Everything is free to us,” she said. “There is some rules like this but it’s not for everyone. In Iran maybe in a 1,000 women, one of them has a problem. … Even my coach. She’s really a free woman. She was all over the world. She’s traveling all the time. This time this happened. … But for sure it will be changed.”

Still, Abbasi said the government prevents her from taking on certain jobs and that she has to work as a ski instructor to support her skiing career.

“I really want to stay in Iran and change the rules — change something that is stopping athletes, not just women,” she said. “The boys can’t buy equipment. It’s the same for everyone.”

Democrat Alex Lasry, a 33-year-old Milwaukee Bucks executive and son of a billionaire, announced Wednesday that he’s running for the U.S. Senate in 2022 for the seat held by Republican Ron Johnson

The race is expected to be one of the most hotly contested in the country with control of the Senate hanging in the balance. Johnson, who rose out of the tea party movement, is one of former President Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters representing a state that President Joe Biden won by fewer than 21,000 votes.

Lasry, in an interview, said he was running because Johnson was “peddling lies and conspiracies” and didn’t represent the people of Wisconsin.

“He’s been in Washington not trying to get something done but trying to make sure things don’t happen,” Lasry said. “The reason I’m getting in is we need a change.”

Johnson has not said yet whether he will run next year and his spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Johnson, 65, in 2016 pledged not to seek a third term, but backed off three years later, saying he wanted to see how the 2020 election turned out. He also has said he’s considering running for governor in 2022.

Johnson voted against convicting Trump in both of his impeachment trials and this week made the rounds on conservative talk radio saying he did not consider the U.S. Capitol riot last month to be an armed insurrection.

Lasry joins Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson, also a Democrat, as the only two announced candidates in the race.

Lasry launched his campaign with a YouTube video that included endorsements from several prominent Milwaukee politicians, including Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and Milwaukee Common Council President Cavalier Johnson. Lasry, who has never run for public office, touted his participation in racial justice protests, his support for unions and paying a living wage, and his work as host committee chair to bring the 2020 Democratic National Convention to Milwaukee.

Lasry, a New York City native, was also an aide in Barack Obama’s White House.

Nelson, a former state lawmaker and candidate for Congress in 2016, said in a Twitter message that he welcomed Lasry to the race “as we all stand united to beat Ron Johnson.”But Nelson also challenged Lasry — son of billionaire hedge fund manager and Democratic bundler Marc Lasry — not to spend any of his family’s money on the race.

“I’m not going to be self funding this race,” Lasry said. “I’m planning on investing, but more importantly what I’m planning to do is bring a lot of people into this campaign.”

Lasry made headlines last month when he received the COVID-19 vaccine, even though he’s not yet eligible in Wisconsin, after his wife’s uncle who is a rabbi at a senior living center in Milwaukee said there was one available there.

Other Democrats considering a run include state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, Lt. Gov Mandela Barnes, state Sen. Chris Larson, of Milwaukee and Steven Olikara, founder and chief executive of the nonprofit Millennial Action Project.

Even though she’s yet to announce, Godlewski has been working behind the scenes to shore up support and fundraising.

“We’re watching Wisconsin’s Senate race closely and we’re always thrilled to see strong women leaders like Sarah Godlewski consider running in these critical seats,” said Ben Ray, a spokesman for EMILY’s List, a political fundraising organization that focuses on electing women who support abortion rights.