Seven Muslim Women Part of Iranian Everest Team

May 31, 2005

Source: The Scotsman

http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=593912005

On May 31, 2005 The Scotsman reported, "Two Iranians yesterday became the first Muslim women to conquer Mount Everest as the early season expedition took advantage of a rare weather window to reach the world's highest summit. Farkhondeh Sadegh, 36, a graphic designer, and Loleh Keshavarz, 26, a dentist, hoisted their country's tricoloured flag on the summit together with six Iranian men at 10:45am local time yesterday... The 21-strong Iranian team, including seven women, arrived in Nepal in mid-March but their expedition, like many others on Everest, was hampered by treacherous weather...It is 30 years since Junko Tabai, a diminutive Japanese housewife who weighed just 7½ stone, became the first woman to scale Everest. A men's team from the Islamic republic first scaled Everest in 1998. Mountaineering, long popular with Iranian men, has gained enthusiasts among Iranian women, along with golf, skiing and even paragliding - activities in which the need to keep the body well covered is not a serious hindrance to performance."