Rouhani Promises FIFA President to Lift Ban on Women's Attendance at Stadiums

The President of the FIFA announced that the President of Iran has promised him to facilitate women's attendance at stadiums, while also stating that the implementation of this promise will take time. Gianni Infantino said on Friday, March 2, at a conference in Zurich that FIFA has two options regarding the ban on women's entry to stadiums: one is condemnation and the other is dialogue with country leaders to persuade them. He emphasized that he has chosen to negotiate with the officials of the Islamic Republic, adding that the Iranian President assured him that the possibility of women's presence in stadiums would be provided. According to Mr. Infantino, Hassan Rouhani also mentioned that 'such actions take a bit of time in countries like ours.' The FIFA President, who attended the match between Persepolis and Esteghlal at Azadi Stadium on Thursday, also announced that he was aware of the arrest of women who intended to enter the stadium. On Thursday afternoon, March 1, several women who wanted to enter Azadi Stadium to watch the football match between Persepolis and Esteghlal were arrested and later released after a few hours. Salman Samani, the spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, claimed that 35 women were 'guided by police officers to a suitable location' and would 'return home after the match.' Officials of Hassan Rouhani's government have previously announced efforts to allow women to attend stadiums for matches, yet this ban remains in place. Meanwhile, on Thursday, an image of a letter allegedly from Hassan Rouhani to the Minister of Sports and Youth regarding women's attendance at stadiums was circulated online. However, the IRNA news agency quoted an 'informed source' stating that this letter is fake. A group of women managed to attend a World Cup qualifying match against Bahrain in 2006, where the then-President, Mohammad Khatami, was also present. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, during his first presidency in 2006, requested the facilitation of women's attendance at stadiums in a letter to the Physical Education Organization, but this directive was shelved after opposition from several Shia clerics. Meanwhile, the Cultural and Social Council of Women announced in Azar that due to the opposition of Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a Shia cleric residing in Qom, the council deemed it 'unnecessary' to approve a resolution on this issue and removed it from its agenda. On Sunday, March 6, in a rare event, women spectators attended the basketball match between Iran and Iraq. Most of the spectators present in the hall were girls wearing tricolor hats, horns, and faces painted in the three colors of the Iranian flag, cheering for the national team. The Ministry of Sports' website stated regarding the ban on women attending stadiums: 'There was no legal prohibition. Rather, the cultural space in sports halls was unsuitable, which deprived this possibility.' Meanwhile, Farideh Shojaei, the new vice president of the Basketball Federation, stated: 'I believe that all women have the right to experience and enjoy the excitement of sports environments.' The ban on women's attendance at stadiums has led several Asian and global federations, including volleyball, to warn Iran that it will face sanctions if women are excluded from stadiums. Consequently, in some international competitions, a small number of women have been selectively and controlled allowed to enter stadiums.