Hashemi, who served in parliament from 1996-2000 and at one point toyed with the idea of running for president, was also the vice president of Iran’s National Olympic Committee. She became a target of hardliners who saw her promotion of women’s sports as detrimental to Islamic morals and values. She became a common cartoon icon and was shown riding a bicycle around the city while wearing a black chador. The cartoons aimed to demonstrate the contradiction of Islamic values and women’s sports; Hashemi saw the two as compatible.
