Iran hosted its first ever all-female motorbike race to celebrate women's rights

On Friday, 15 women raced their bikes across the rocky track in Karaj. Photo courtesy: YouTube/ IranWire

In Iran, where women are imprisoned for posting their pictures on Instagram and arrested for riding bikes, an all-female motor bike race is surely a big deal.

The race was conducted as a part of a three-year-campaign by the sports ministry to celebrate women's rights in the country. A much-needed move since modesty laws in Iran prohibit women from riding bikes.

Last weekend, 15 women raced their bikes across the rocky track in Karaj, which is situated near the capital of Iran, Tehran. The lucky few were selected from 30 applicants who wished to become a part of this historic event.

Though, the event did not garner much hullabaloo, it did make a lot of women activists happy. Also, men were banned from attending the competition as audience.

It still remains a paradox how women are not allowed to ride bikes on the streets, but allowed on a customized race track. And while we cheer the move whole-heartedly, we can't help but wonder if lifting the ban would be a much practical step.

Unlike Saudi Arabia, women in Iran can drive cars but not without a hijab. However, bikes are a strict no-no. The logic behind it as ambiguous as the diktats imposed on women.

The ban, however, has not been able to deter the spirit of Iranian women bikers, who continue to pursue their passion.

Also read: Iranian female bodybuilder jailed for posting 'un-Islamic' photos of her workouts online

Behnaz Shafiei a celebrated motorbike rider in the country and has been fighting for her right ever since she got interested in bikes.

"You know how, when you tell a child not to touch something that's hot, she just wants to touch it more to check? It's same for me. Riding my motorbike seemed to me like a pretty normal thing for a woman to do. When I saw how people reacted with shock, it just spurred me on," she said in an interview to BBC.

Shafiei was a part of the event and agreed that participation of women in sports irks many hardliners. However, the women don't let the radicals bulldoze them and keep pushing to achieve their dreams.

Kudos to them!