Iranians suspect government plans to ban women from stadiums again

Iranian media and soccer fans suspect that authorities are deliberately staging verbal and physical violence against female soccer fans in stadiums to justify reinstating the ban on their attendance.

Suspicions grew after a recent incident at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium on Wednesday, May 1, during a Champions League match between Sepahan FC and Persepolis FC. During the match, male Sepahan fans sexually harassed and threw stones at female Persepolis fans, injuring at least one woman.

The incident has brought further reproach to those who oppose the presence of women at men’s football matches. They always argue that male football fans swear obscenities, making the atmosphere in stadiums unsuitable for women, even if they sit in a separate section.

Match between Sepahan FC and Persepolis FC on Wednesday at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium

“To say that it looks like a plan is underway to gradually close stadiums to women is neither illusion nor pessimism.” an editorial entitled “Hardliners’ new program to ban women’s entry to stadiums”,Ditch by ditch and stadium by stadium,” said the reformist newspaper Etemad on Sunday.

The article called the alleged plan a “smart” move to avoid direct defiance of the World Football Authority (FIFA), which insists on allowing women in Iran full access to stadiums.

Authorities banned a Sepahan fan from attending all games for ten years for disrespecting women.

“Instead of imposing a general ban on women entering stadiums, this time every incident, big and small, during the games should be used as an excuse to ban women from entering the stadium. FIFA is expected to be informed that women’s entry to the stadium is not prohibited, but has been banned in a particular stadium for certain reasons “for the time being” and that entry will be permitted in the near future after the creation of infrastructures (to accommodate women).” , the article added.

In an article titled “Suspicious Wednesday at Azadi (Stadium)” on Sunday, the conservative Farhikhtegan also claimed that “certain groups” were behind the incident to end the presence of female fans at men’s football matches. “Over the past few weeks there have been incidents at various stages that appear strange and perhaps suspicious.” Farhikhtegan wrote.

Hardliners have protested violently against the presence of female fans in recent weeks. In an April 18 statement, fundamentalist seminarians from Tabriz protested to the provincial governor for allowing women to participate in a game.

“The Yadgar Imam Stadium turned into a parade ground for some unveiled women who violated (hijab) norms,” their statement said.

A week earlier, the hug of a player by a female fan caused an uproar among hardliners. Hossein Hosseini, the Esteghlal FC goalkeeper suspended for hugging the young girl, as any physical contact, including a hug with unrelated women, is forbidden by Sharia law.

For over four decades, the Islamic Republic banned female spectators from football stadiums. FIFA tried to convince the authorities It has called for the unwritten ban to be lifted for nearly a decade and threatened to ban Iran from international competitions if it did not comply.

The matter was finally resolved in January by the National Security Council, which decided that women could be allowed to attend football matches in stadiums.

Authorities had previously allowed women to watch some matches at the stadium on a limited basis, but the ban was reimposed a few months after hardline President Ebrahim Raisi took office, despite FIFA’s objections.

In March 2022, hundreds of women who bought tickets online for the World Cup qualifying match between the national team and Lebanon in the religious city of Mashhad were denied entry.

The women were tear gassed and pepper sprayed by security forces as they insisted they had the right to watch the game and protested. Several women were reportedly injured in the incident.

Without apologizing for violence against women, The Iranian Football Association blamed it “Ticket counterfeiters” and women accused of providing information about their gender when purchasing online tickets.