Women's Entry into Stadiums; Repetitive Statements from Sports Officials

In recent weeks, a group of Iranian football players and veterans have called for the facilitation of women's entry into stadiums. Masoud Shojaei, in a meeting with the President of Iran, requested that conditions be created for women to attend matches. Shojaei had previously emphasized the legal right of half the population to watch football matches. Alireza Beiranvand, the goalkeeper of the Iranian national football team, told the Asman Abi newspaper that Shojaei's request to Mr. Rouhani was the desire of all national football players. Ali Karimi, the Asian Footballer of the Year in 2004, expressed hope that conditions would be created with the help of Dr. Rouhani and federation officials for women to enter stadiums. This is the wish of millions of female fans who want to watch football and other sports up close. The head coach of Naft Tehran told ISNA news agency, "I hope the necessary groundwork for this lasting action will be laid so that women can watch their favorite teams in a suitable environment. This is not impossible, and we can realize the dreams of sports-loving women." What has been the response of officials to the repeated requests from prominent members of the football family? The Minister of Sports stated, "To allow families into sports venues, we need coordination among all decision-makers, which we must create in due time. This cannot be a directive." Soltani-Far, who was interviewed by ILNA news agency, did not specify a precise time for the suitable opportunity he mentioned. Without naming those who need to provide guarantees, he said, "They should guarantee to our beliefs, to legal and religious authorities, that all religious, cultural, and social considerations for women's presence in stadiums will be observed." The Minister of Sports emphasized, "This plan is being pursued quietly and without controversy, and we are following its finalization." The Minister's interview is a repetition of statements made by other sports officials in recent years regarding women's entry into stadiums. The previous Minister of Sports, Mahmoud Goudarzi, had stated in September 2016 to the Shargh newspaper, "The more we move towards radicalizing this space, the more we harm women. We must move slowly. A manager who suddenly ordered the space to be opened for women, what result did he achieve? We are still paying the consequences of that incorrect decision years later." Goudarzi, without naming the manager in question, said, "We are in a country with a complex political sociology that does not allow many events to occur unless we enter through wise paths and emphasize that radical paths do not work." In practice, there has been no change from Goudarzi to Soltani-Far, and stadium doors remain closed to women. Doors that were opened during the election campaign for supporters of candidates. Senior sports officials provide no further explanation to the public other than emphasizing follow-up. Meanwhile, Korean and Chinese women residing in Iran were able to watch their national teams play at Azadi Stadium, but law enforcement prevented even young Iranian girls accompanied by their fathers or brothers from entering. Amid these developments, Ali Karimi expressed hope about facilitating women's entry into stadiums. There is a confrontation between Tasnim and Hezbollah over the presence of women in stadiums. The changing battlefield of proxies; the war against the people in the streets of Iran. The first paragraph; the responsibility of opponents and the possibility of radicalizing Iranian society. The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iranian crisis. 1300 hours of internet outages; Witkoff: A horrific massacre occurred during the protests in Iran.