Selective presence of women at Azadi Stadium: A show or a prelude to lifting the ban?
On Tuesday, the national teams of Iran and Bolivia met in Tehran, and the presence of about 300 women in the stadium made news. The Islamic Republic does not allow women to attend football stadiums.
Two hours before the Iran-Bolivia match, about 300 women entered a special section of the stadium with Iranian flags and stood next to female police officers.
Civil society activists have been demanding the presence of women in the stadium for years. It seems that these women were not ordinary people either. State media introduced them as “footballers and under the supervision of the Football Federation.” Of course, it was said that a few of them were ordinary women and girls.
Videos and photos of these women's presence in the stadium have been released, one of which shows their joy over Iran's goal:
Some news sites attributed the presence of these women to the decision of Tehran's "Supply Council," a council comprised of security, law enforcement, and intelligence officials from each city.
Religious authorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran have explicitly stated their opposition to the presence of women as spectators in stadiums.
The United States, human rights organizations, and the International Football Federation have repeatedly criticized the Islamic Republic of Iran's move to prevent women from attending stadiums.
It seems that the selective presence of women in the stadium is a measure aimed at reducing international criticism.
In this regard, on Tuesday night, the cultural advisor to the Football Federation announced that female Persepolis fans have been granted permission to attend their team's match against Al Sadd in Qatar. Officials have not yet confirmed this news.
Source: Voice of America
