Hackers Demand Allowance for Women to Watch Football by Hacking Azadi Stadium Website

The Azadi Stadium website was hacked on Wednesday, September 6, and the hackers' demand was for women to be allowed to watch football matches in stadiums. The match between the national teams of Iran and Syria on Tuesday evening during the 2018 World Cup qualifying round not only ended in a draw due to the guest team's last-minute goal but also raised issues regarding the management of women's entry into the stadium. The presence of two female members of parliament at Azadi Stadium was one of the few instances of Iranian women attending a men's match since the establishment of the Islamic Republic. ISNA reported on Wednesday that the Azadi Stadium website was hacked, and for several hours, the main page displayed a photo of Syrian women present in the stadium with the caption: "Shame on you, brothers! That's all." ISNA added that the officials of Azadi Stadium initially claimed ignorance about the hacking and later stated that the site had been "disrupted" for a while. Although some women had successfully purchased online tickets for the Iran-Syria football match, it was later announced that this sale was a "mistake" and Iranian women were still not allowed to enter the stadium. Apparently, after a request from a member of parliament named Tayebe Siavoshi, the Iranian Ministry of Sports and Youth allowed female parliament members to watch the Iran-Syria match. However, Parvaneh Salahshouri rejected this proposal on Wednesday, stating that "until the possibility of attendance for all women interested in stadiums is provided, she prefers not to use her presence as a representative of the people." According to ILNA, she also suggested that women be allowed entry to one of the capital's derby matches on a trial basis to clarify the issue. However, Ms. Siavoshi accepted the Ministry of Sports' invitation and said this action is a sign of progress. She told Etemad newspaper: "I believe we should express our demands through legal channels and responsible institutions. I went to the stadium specifically for this request." Minister of Sports Masoud Soltanifar indicated that there might be further changes in the future. According to Tasnim news agency, he said: "We will try to create the conditions for families to attend stadiums through consultation and cooperation. I am sure that football fans will respect the necessary regulations and restrictions." Restrictions on Iranian women's entry into stadiums are imposed while foreign women are allowed to attend matches, and Syrian women were present among the spectators at Azadi Stadium on Tuesday. This situation led one commentator on state television to unprecedentedly state that preventing Iranian women from entering is "regrettable." In Iran, women are not allowed to watch football matches and some other sports, including wrestling, as the stadium environment is considered too "indecent" for women. Some women gather around stadiums to protest during matches, while others try to enter by changing their appearance. Hassan Rouhani promised more freedom for women in his election campaign this year, which was one of the factors in his victory in the second round of the presidency. He has faced criticism for not appointing even one female minister. In recent days, women interested in football were very happy because the stadium website allowed them to buy tickets for the Iran-Syria match. However, officials later announced that a "technical problem" had occurred and they would refund their ticket money.