Mullahs the Limit

Laleh Seddigh nicknamed the "Little Schumacher," is the newly famous 28-year-old race car driver who recently became the first Iranian woman in the Islamic Republic's history to win a race. Ms. Seddigh beat 12 male competitors. The Wall Street Journal reports:

But there are obstacles. "Every time I want to practice or make a test drive, the track staff ask me for a letter of permission -- even though I am the captain of the Proton speed team," she added. "Men never have this kind of hassle." ...

Her victory isn't cutting her much of a break. She was forced to pull a poncho over her "tight" racing overalls before collecting the trophy. Pictures of her were, according to the Middle East Online, censored. And the crowd cheering her lifting the trophy was of course segregated. ...

But Ms. Seddigh's sports triumph is another small sign that things are changing at the grass roots in Iran.