President of Iran Football Federation: We Will 'Utilize' Women's Entry into Stadiums

On Sunday, July 9, the President of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic stated that 'arrangements' have been made to 'utilize' women's entry into stadiums during the 23rd league. Although the Islamic Republic has committed to FIFA to allow women into stadiums, women have not had free access to stadiums so far, and selective attendance has occurred at some national games. This is the first time an official from the Islamic Republic has announced that female spectators will be present in the Iranian football league. Mehdi Taj, speaking at the draw ceremony for the Premier League competitions, referred to 'some stadiums' such as 'Naqsh-e Jahan, Gol Gohar, Zob Ahan, and Foolad Khuzestan,' which he claimed are ready in terms of 'entry and exit' infrastructure, stating: 'This year, one of the outstanding indicators compared to the previous league is that we will utilize the entry of women into stadiums.' According to the state news agency IRNA, he expressed hope that 'Azadi Stadium will also soon be operational.' The issue of approving permits for women's entry into stadiums has been raised in recent days. The entry of women into sports stadiums has become a contentious topic among officials of the Islamic Republic in recent years. For instance, the head of the General Assembly of the Society of Teachers previously strongly opposed women's presence in stadiums in a letter to Ebrahim Raisi, considering the proposal in Raisi's government to be 'surprising' to the revolutionary base of society. Restrictions on women's attendance at stadiums in Iran and the treatment of female football fans by security and law enforcement officials have previously made headlines, the most notable being the self-immolation of Sahar Khodayari in front of a judicial unit in Tehran. The death of Sahar Khodayari, known as 'Blue Girl' for supporting the Esteghlal team, occurred in September 2019 after her arrest for attempting to enter a stadium, leading to widespread domestic and international reactions. Among these, the U.S. State Department, by posting a photo of Sahar Khodayari on Twitter, reminded that Iranian women still do not have the right to enter stadiums and called for FIFA's attention to the regime's ongoing discrimination against women. Another example of restrictions on women's entry to stadiums was the prevention of 2,000 women holding tickets from entering the gates of the Mashhad stadium. Although in April of this year, photos and videos broadcast by official Iranian news agencies showed about a hundred women selectively displayed in a small section of Azadi Stadium. For the first time in England, a woman became the head coach of a men's professional football team; Hannah Dingley. New claims by Mehdi Taj: The Supreme National Security Council approved women's entry into stadiums. Instagram farewell of Voria Ghafouri: 'I was eager to bid farewell in normal conditions and in the stadium.'