Mehdi Taj: We are not structurally and physically ready to accept women in stadiums

The president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, stated that the federation is not ready to accept women in stadiums from a 'structural' and 'physical' perspective. This statement was made in response to the prohibition of some women from entering Azadi Stadium to watch the football match between Iran and Syria. Several women who had previously purchased tickets online were denied entry on Tuesday. Taj commented on this prohibition, saying, 'We who are present in the stadium are aware of the existing realities inside the stadium.' He added that separate entry gates for women need to be established, which has not happened. The president of the football federation attributed the online ticket sales to some women to a 'mistake' in the ticketing system, stating that as a result of this error, '11 women who had purchased tickets had their tickets canceled upon our notice.' Taj also responded to criticisms regarding the presence of some female supporters of the Syrian national team in Azadi Stadium, saying that these women were allowed entry 'according to international regulations.' These remarks come at a time when Minister of Sports and Youth, Masoud Soltanifar, announced efforts to create 'necessary coordination and consensus' to facilitate family attendance at stadiums. Soltanifar stated, 'We will gradually try to witness families in stadiums through groundwork, justification, and coordination among all involved elements.' This official did not name these 'elements,' but some reports cite certain clerics as the main opponents of women's entry into stadiums. The continuation of these oppositions, which led to the prohibition of Iranian women from entering Azadi Stadium for the match between Iran and Syria, has intensified criticism of this prohibition in Iran, especially after the authorization of Syrian women to enter the stadium. Shahindokht Molaverdi, a special assistant to the president for citizen rights, tweeted that women's presence in stadiums is their right according to the Citizen Rights Charter. She added that 'it is the right of all citizens, especially women, to access sports, educational, and healthy recreational facilities.' Fatemeh Hosseini, a member of parliament, also announced her intention to question the Minister of Sports regarding women's presence in stadiums. Hosseini told ISNA that she asked Soltanifar, 'What planning and actions have been taken so far to provide conditions in accordance with Islamic principles and suitable for women to attend stadiums?' She added that she would submit her question to the parliament's board of directors in the first session after the summer recess. The push for women's presence in stadiums continues from a group of women, civil activists, and even some football players in Iran, while football federation officials claim they are not ready for such an issue. Mehdi Taj's remarks on this matter have faced criticism from a group of social media users in Persian-speaking cyberspace. Amin Pahlavanmanesh, among the users, tweeted in response to Taj's remarks, 'There is no need to say something that makes others laugh to justify a wrong action. Is the stadium structure suitable for foreign women?' Mahsa Jazini, a journalist from the Shargh newspaper, also tweeted that '40 years ago, the physical structure and readiness of stadiums were different, allowing women to participate.' Other social media users have shared images of women's presence in football stadiums from the pre-revolution era, showing women watching football matches alongside men. Another user named 'Keyhoon' reacted to Taj's remarks, saying, 'To justify oppression, they even question the laws of physics and engineering.' Another user, 'Pezhman,' asked on Twitter, 'What is the physics of Azadi Stadium that women cannot come? And how would it be that they can come? Among all these justifications, this one was truly a masterpiece.' Criticism and protests against the prohibition of women's entry into stadiums are expanding daily in Iran. Social media is one of the most important platforms for the spread of these protests and civil demands. Despite the growing requests, government officials and clerics in power in Iran have not yet agreed to allow women into stadiums or prepared the groundwork for the practical implementation of this demand.