United States, IO – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi canceled an interview with CNN International senior journalist Christine Amanpour after she refused to wear hijab (head scarf) at his request.
CNN’s official Instagram account on Friday (23/9) uploaded a footage showing Amanpour sitting alone in the room where he will interview was supposed to happen on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, where Raisi was attending.
Amanpour pointed out that no previous presidents had requested this when she interviewed them outside Iran. She said she would wear a headscarf when covering in Iran to comply with local laws and customs, but not when the interview is conducted in New York.
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“Here in New York, or anywhere else outside of Iran, I have never been asked by any Iranian president — and I have interviewed every single one of them since 1995 — either inside or outside of Iran, never been asked to wear a head scarf,” she said. (un)