Sunday, 18 August 2013
Good looks do not always open doors: the female winner of city elections in the Iranian city of Qazvin was disqualified after the council's leader proclaimed "We don't want catwalk models here".
Mohabat News - Nina Siahkali Moradi came 14th out of 163 candidates in the election, which should have granted her a stand-by seat on the city council. Election officials overturned her appointment on the grounds that the 27-year-old was "not observing Islamic codes". In her campaign material, Siahkali wears the statutory hijab: only her face is visible.
Nina Siahkali Moradi's campaign car window sticker
Siahkali, who campaigned under the banner 'A Younger Mind for the Future of Youth', learnt of her disqualification a week after the elections took place on June 14, the same day as Iran's presidential elections. Candidates are allowed to run only if they pass a multitude of detailed background checks by the judiciary, intelligence ministry, police and National Organisation for Civil Registration. It is unusual for candidates to be disqualified after elections; 'unsuitable' candidates do not normally make it through the initial background checks.
According to her website, Siahkali studied architecture, is trained in Kung Fu and is a member of Qazvin's Calligraphy Council. France 24 attempted to interview Siahkali, her campaign team and the election monitoring commission. No one, however, was available for an interview.
Letter from Qazvin's Religious Council condemning all the female candidates in the city council elections
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