The representative of the Supreme Leader in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps deemed the presence of women in stadiums as "a precursor to sins" and questioned whether those issuing permits for this matter "want women to be happy inside the stadium or do they want others to be happy through them?" Abdullah Hajizadeh stated in an interview with Tasnim news agency on Friday, October 19, that the permit for women's entry to stadiums "should not be a precursor to normalizing certain sins, which is a bad thing." He added, "Do those people really want women to be happy inside the stadium or do they want others to be happy through them?" Reactions to the statements of Iran's prosecutor regarding the "sinfulness" of women's presence in stadiums were widespread on social media, with some conservative figures, including Ali Motahari and Ezzatollah Zarghami, criticizing it. 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. However, several women who personally went to watch the match were prevented from entering. Additionally, Gholamhossein Zamani Abadi, cultural advisor to the Football Federation, denied reports about women's presence at the Persepolis and Al-Sadd match. He stated that the federation currently has no plans for women's attendance at matches other than national team games. Women's entry to stadiums for watching sports competitions has been banned since the early years following the 1979 revolution, and for about 20 years, women have only been able to watch matches in certain competitions. In this year's World Cup, after much struggle, women were allowed to watch the live broadcasts of Iran's national football team's matches at Azadi Stadium twice. However, this issue faced criticism from several religious authorities and clerics, with the prosecutor general calling it "a source of shame." Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president of Iran, issued a directive for women's entry to stadiums in 2006, but it was not implemented due to opposition from religious authorities. In recent years, several women's rights activists and social figures have attempted to lift the ban on women's entry to stadiums, including sending a letter to FIFA, urging it to compel the Islamic Republic to end the prohibition on women's presence in stadiums.
Criticism from the Representative of the Supreme Leader in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Women's Entry to Stadiums
Abdullah Hajizadeh, a representative of the Supreme Leader, criticized women's entry into stadiums, labeling it as a precursor to sins. This statement follows threats from Iran's prosecutor about legal action if women's presence continues, amidst ongoing debates about women's rights in Iran. The issue highlights the tension between conservative values and calls for gender equality in Iranian society.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Abdullah Hajizadeh criticized the limited allowance of women in stadiums, labeling it as a precursor to sins. This follows a recent event where a small number of women were permitted to attend a football match, amidst ongoing debates about women's rights in Iran.
- Women have been largely banned from attending sports events in Iran since the 1979 revolution.
- The recent allowance for women to attend matches has faced significant backlash from conservative authorities.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Since the 1979 revolution, women have faced significant restrictions on their rights, including bans on attending sports events. Recent efforts by activists have sought to challenge these restrictions.
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%