Reactions to Iran's Prosecutor General's Remarks on Women's Presence in Stadiums as 'Sinful'

Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the Attorney General of Iran, criticized the very limited presence of women in stadiums and called it a 'sin', which has led to widespread reactions from various political activists, including the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, the former head of state television, and several other conservatives in Iran. On Wednesday, October 25, he criticized sports officials who allowed a very limited number of women to attend Azadi Stadium, stating: 'When a woman goes to the stadium and encounters men dressed in sportswear and half-naked, a sin occurs.' The Attorney General, speaking at an event in Qazvin, also threatened that if these actions continue, 'we will take legal action.' During a friendly match between the Iranian and Bolivian football teams held on Tuesday night at Azadi Stadium, apparently due to FIFA's threats, a very limited number of women, about one hundred, were selectively allowed to attend the stadium. Domestic media referred to this group as 'special women,' which included the wives and families of football players. However, several women who personally went to watch the match were prevented from entering. Ezzatollah Zarghami, the former head of Iran's state television, tweeted: 'Do not claw at women and families who have no suitable entertainment... Is sin and illegality in prisons less than in stadiums?' The newspaper Etemad also published the remarks of Mohammad Jafar Montazeri and Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, side by side in its main headline on Thursday. While Ali Motahari considered the presence of women in competitions such as swimming, wrestling, basketball, and men's volleyball to be 'problematic from a religious perspective,' he disagreed with the Attorney General's view on football matches, stating: 'It seems that according to this criterion, there should be no religious problem.' The newspaper Etemad also published the views of Mohsen Gharaeyan, a cleric from Qom's seminary, who deemed attributing 'sin' to women's presence in stadiums as 'groundless and legally invalid.' Mohsen Gharaeyan also stated: 'The purpose of attending the stadium is to encourage players, motivate them, and watch sports... The stadium is not a place for sinning.' Nevertheless, the Attorney General's remarks faced a strong backlash on social media, with various hashtags, including #AttorneyGeneral and #HalfNaked, being dedicated to it. Social media users, with differing viewpoints and intellectual backgrounds, harshly criticized the Attorney General's statements, addressing issues such as his 'unlegalistic language,' discrimination against women, and the relationship of his remarks to Islamic views on women. The friendly match between the Iranian and Bolivian national football teams, in which a very limited number of women were selectively allowed to attend the stadium, ended with a score of 2-1 in favor of Iran.