Math Olympiad Team Respectfully Welcome in Washington, Not Fingerprinted
The Iranian team is composed of Siamak Ahmadpour Torkamani, Iman Setayesh, Mohammad-Hossein Mousavi, Mir-Omid Haji Mir-Sadeqi, Hamid Foroughi, and Amin Ja'farian.
The six-member team was welcome at Dulles Airport in Virginia by the head of Iran's Interest Section in the U.S. and the organizers of the contest.
The ten-day competition started on Tuesday. Students from over 100 countries are participating.
Prior to the visit, there were concerns that the officers of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) would create obstacles for the Iranian students by trying to fingerprint them at the airport, which is not acceptable to Iran by any means.
But, due to the efforts of Iran's Interest Section in Washington and the officials in charge of holding the contests, the Iranian team was received at the Washington area airport without any problem and with full respect.
An Iranian official accompanying the team said at the airport that they would cancel the visit and go back to Iran if U.S. immigration officers tried to fingerprint the Iranian delegation.
The U.S. fingerprinting policy, which is an insult to Iranian nationals intending to visit the U.S., has hindered visits of Iranian officials, academicians, athletes and artists.
Many Iranians, invited to the U.S. by American political, economic, cultural, and sports organizations to attend conferences or competitions left the U.S. shortly after arrival after being told that they would only be allowed to enter the country after they were fingerprinted. Iranian nationals have strongly resisted the offensive and humiliating policy. It seems that U.S. officials have finally come to their senses and realized that they should respect Iranian nationals and people from other countries.
According to another report the finalists of Iran's chemistry Olympiad will leave for India to compete in the international Olympiad.
The chemistry team is composed of Shadi Rajabi, Mona Fallah Tafti, Sepehr Fadaei, and Ali-Asghar Mohammadi.
Iran's chemistry Olympiad team gained one gold medal, two silver medals, and one bronze medal last year and finished sixth in the world's in chemistry.