Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi's Office Calls Women's Entry into Stadiums a 'Lie'

Less than a week after news surfaced regarding Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi's favorable opinion on women's entry into stadiums, the office of this religious authority denied the report and accused the government official who was the source of the news of lying. On Saturday, March 3, the Mehr News Agency quoted a statement from Nasser Makarem Shirazi's office in Qom, denying the news that the esteemed cleric had been convinced about allowing women into stadiums. Last week, a report attributed to Masoumeh Ebtekar, Deputy of Hassan Rouhani for Women's Affairs, stated that Ayatollah Makarem expressed ignorance about the 'main issue' of women's entry into stadiums. According to the news website Rajanews, which is close to hardline conservatives in Iran, Ms. Ebtekar had recounted her meeting with Ayatollah Makarem during a session of the Women's Faction of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. In related news, Ms. Ebtekar mentioned: 'I held meetings with Ayatollah Makarem and explained the main story to him, and he emphasized that he was completely unaware of the matter. He told me something else that prompted my reaction.' Makarem Shirazi, along with several religious authorities close to the Islamic Republic's conservatives, is a staunch opponent of women's presence in stadiums. The issue of women's entry into stadiums has been a longstanding problem for Iranian sports and governments. A group of women was able to attend a World Cup qualifying match against Bahrain in 2006, where then-President Mohammad Khatami was also present. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also requested in a letter to the Physical Education Organization in 2006 to facilitate women's presence in stadiums. Following this, several clerics from Qom, including Fadl Lankarani, Mirza Javad Tabrizi, Makarem Shirazi, and Mesbah Yazdi opposed women's presence in stadiums. This situation led several Asian and global federations to warn Iran that if women were excluded from stadiums, Iran would face sanctions. Consequently, in some international competitions, a small number of women were selectively and controlled allowed entry into stadiums. In this context, Gianni Infantino, the President of FIFA, stated on March 2 at a conference in Zurich that FIFA has two approaches to the ban on women's entry into stadiums: one is condemnation, and the other is dialogue with country leaders to convince them. He emphasized that he chose to negotiate with the Islamic Republic's officials, adding that the President of Iran assured him that arrangements would be made for women's presence in stadiums. However, given the recent reaction from Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi's office, it seems that the issue of women's entry into stadiums will remain unresolved. The office of Ayatollah Makarem went so far as to label the news of this cleric's meeting with Masoumeh Ebtekar as 'purely false,' stating: 'It is truly surprising how such lies are told in our time, and why the shame and ugliness of lying have diminished so much.' Ms. Ebtekar has not yet responded to this news. According to reports from Mehr News Agency, Fars, and Radio Farda website.