"Self-deception" of the members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly

The parliament's revision of a bill to prevent sports competitions between Iranian and Israeli athletes has become one of the hottest topics of discussion today, with one opposition politician calling it "self-deception."

The National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly approved a bill on Sunday, May 17, designed to counter Israel's "hostile actions" "against peace and security."

According to Mohammad Javad Jamali Nobandegani, a member of the Parliament's National Security Commission, Article 11 of the plan has been removed, an article that prohibited Iranian athletes from competing with Israeli athletes.

Regarding the reason for this action, he said that the approval of a legal bill to prevent sports competitions with Israelis could pave the way for the exclusion of all Iranian sports from the World Games and the Olympics.

On May 13, the parliament approved two urgent bills to confront Israel's "hostile actions" without opposition from any member of parliament.

The Speaker of the Parliament had asked the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee to review this bill as soon as possible so that it could be placed on the agenda of the open floor of the Parliament.

"An apparent attempt to deceive the world"

The removal of Article 11 of the aforementioned plan has become a hot topic among Iranians on social media. Politicians, various media outlets, and sports experts have commented on the matter.

Mehran Barati, political deputy and secretary of the foreign policy working group of the Transitional Management Council, told DW Persian: "This retreat is not a new phenomenon. From the beginning, the Islamic Republic has quickly changed its mind whenever it felt threatened or under severe pressure. But the point that lies within the reason for this retreat is important: They are openly saying, we should not put the pressure we are putting on our athletes in writing and publicly, but rather it is in our interest to do this in secret."

According to Barati, this approach by the Islamic Consultative Assembly "appears to be an attempt to deceive the world, but in reality, it is a form of self-deception and ultimately damages the image of the Iranian nation even more than before."

Previously, Mehdi Jafari Garzini, an Iranian and German sports expert, in an interview with Deutsche Welle Persian, while examining the consequences and sensitive aspects of the possible approval of this plan, called it a "lethal weapon" for all of Iran's national sports.

Supporters and opponents within the country

Article 11 of the draft law also has opponents within the country who have warned of its consequences in recent days.

Mostafa Hashemi Taba, former head of the Physical Education Organization, is one of the people who said that the approval of this plan could be considered discriminatory by international bodies and contrary to the Olympic Charter, and could lead to "the suspension of all Iranian sports."

In contrast, it seems that some supporters of this plan have no problem with the suspension of Iranian sports and see it as a measure to achieve their ideological goals.

Mohammad Azizi, a member of the parliamentary sports faction's board of directors, said in an interview with "Etemad Online": "There is no such thing as Israel in our religious discussions."

In response to the question of what solution he knows for this problem, he says: "I don't know of a solution. Now, what's wrong with suspending Iranian sports in the meantime? I believe that we should be suspended."

Source: DW