Iranian women were able to watch their national team in Tehran for the first time in 40 years amid calls for all restrictions to be lifted.
Iran thrashed Cambodia 14-0 in a landmark World Cup qualifier that was witnessed inside the Azadi Stadium by 4,000 female spectators.
Iranian authorities were moved to allow a quota of tickets to be sold to women following the shocking death of Sahar Khodayari, who became known as the “Blue Girl” for her love of the Iranian team Esteghlal.
Khodayari set fire to herself last month after being summoned to face charges in connection with her attempt to enter a stadium.
The sight of women draped in their national flag in the stands signified a major milestone in the push away from Iran’s male-only policy at sporting events, following a 1981 ban that followed the country’s Islamic Revolution.
Iran was the world’s last nation to lift a bar on women at matches after Saudi Arabia recently did so. The effort to allow women back into stadiums has gone through fits and starts since the revolution.
Iran even barred a woman from holding a sign for the country when it attended its first Summer Olympics in 1986 in South Korea.
A group of Irish women received special permission to attend a qualifier between Iran and Ireland in Tehran in 2001.
In 2006, former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he wanted women to attend matches to “improve football watching manners and promote a healthy atmosphere”.
However, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all matters of state, opposed the decision.
Then, last year, Iranian authorities allowed a select group of women into Azadi Stadium by invitation only to watch the Asian Champion League final.
Since the beginning of 2018, at least 40 women have been arrested and some prosecuted for attempting to enter football stadiums.
Despite an important step being taken, the move only came after intense pressure from FIFA, with the world governing body threatening to issue Iran with a ban if women were denied access.
Only four sections of the 78,000-capacity stadium were allocated to female supporters, who were kept separate from men and under the protection of female police officers.
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COMMENTS
And some would argue that Islam is a religion for the modern world….
Mysoginy is a big problem in the world, especially in Islamic countries, where women are only to be seen and not heard. Even the SEEN sef get as e be, as they are covered from head to toe in hijab wear. Women are considered as nothing, valueless. Many men in these countries value their cows and other livestock more than their women! One would think these people do not have mothers and sisters. Just last year, Saudi Arabia started allowing their women to drive vehicles. How ridiculous! For crying out loud, what is the rationale behind stopping women from entering a stadium to watch football?
Good to see that common sense is gradually prevailing.
@pompei, it’s a very terrible thing. How on earth should women be treated this way in this modern age? Do they think we are still living in the middle ages? I’m sorry to say this but it’s the truth, no offence to my Muslim brothers but the truth is, Islam is the worst thing that has ever happened to mankind. Without the advent of Islam by Mohammed, the world would’ve been a relatively peaceful and safer place to live. Just look at what is happening in Yemen,Syria,our Nigeria,Mali,Afghanistan,Somalia, Libya,Iran,Iraq, Pakistan,palestine,the list is just endless, senseless killings and oppression all in the belief of the teachings of one archaic person some centuries ago.
@Oakfield, Ignorance is a disease. You have no idea what you are talking about. To know that you do not know is the best.
To think you know when you do not is a disease.
Recognizing this disease as a disease is to be free of it.
If you are feeling cocky, it’s because there’s something you don’t know.”
hmm…..
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance.
Islam has rules and regulations and it’s not a diluted religion. Its totally pure and nothing attached to it. Islam is not a man made religion my friend. Watch your mouth!
Every Country has the way they do their things. Don’t jump into the final conclusion yet. “Seeking for knowledge is the best”!!!
I don’t want to go further because this is not a religion site. So, watch your mouth young man. One love. God bless Nigeria!!!
Aww, it seems you’re Muslim, little wonder ur archaic mode of reasoning but thats just the plain truth, take it or leave it. Let me just believe you’re not threatening me for airing my opinion. Nobody, and I repeat, nobody has the monopoly of violence, hence, mind ur steps when u make senseless and empty threats which seems to run in ur DNA. Can’t u people be civil for once even when One’s opinion about ur faith is in stark contrast to what u believe ?? Do not provoke me to anger my friend, just pipe low and learn to be civil.
It’s the rules and regulations as formulated by Mohammed that have made boko haram, Isis,taliban , al Qaeda and alshabab what they are today. Look around u and see the result of ur rules and regulations. Rules and regulations indeed!!!
Omo naija in as much as u and i always agreed on eagles i have to advise u to shut up ur mouth on this. Listen to me omonaija u sound like an extremist. You canever false anybody to respect your nosense religion even if u take their lives. As far as you a black man u are a slave in islam. And u should not come here and tell us wat we all know. I am so angry with ur nonsense and meaningless coments on this isue becos u have never fall victim to extrimists in the name of religion. I was born a christian and grew up as a christian but i most confess to you both religion are scams to fool people like you. I have been to mecca and rome so there is nothing to talk about ok. GOD GAVE US TEN COMANDMENTS THROUGH MOSES. any other doctrin after the ten commandment is scam by the greek romans and arabs.this people have scam. Wether christain or islam boths are political scams u omonaija most wake up from. God doesnt need an agent or a prophet or woever to write any rubbish after ten commandment have been writing. Finally God said sabat ( saturday) day only. Not sunday or friday. Africans open ur eyes nor dey mumu follow arabs and europeans. Who enjoys killing ur idea and make u keep theirs.
Mohammed is from the lineage of Ishmael who was the son of an Egyptian slave girl of Sarah. Ishmael was later driven out from the house of Abraham his father. Isaac was the son Abraham’s wife Sarah. When Sarah died, Abraham married Ketura and they had 6 children. In totality Abraham had 8 children. Before his death, at one point to another he blessed all of these 8 children. But Isaac’s blessing was unique. Since he was the son Abraham’s first wife and special too as he was miraculously given birth when Sarah was far far pass menopause at the age of 90. Science doesn’t exist then. God specially blessed Isaac and choose him as the one through whose lineage the Savior of mankind will come through. Then Jacob. Then Judah. Then King David. Then prince Nathan(not king Solomon). Then Mary. Then Jesus Christ our Savior. End of story.
Islam now came after 600 year after the death of Jesus Christ. By Mohammed. That salvation of mankind was now through Mohammed and no more Jesus Christ. In effect Islam is saying Isaac is no more the blessed and choose lineage of the Messiah but that it has shifted to the lineage of Ishmael!!!! It laughable, isn’t it. If such a religion can ban women from going to the stadium to watch matches, why now after 40 years? Is like saying fornication is allowed now after it is a sin all these years. What made watching matches by women now good if it was a sin the pass 40 years? Taking care of one wife is a hand full thing. But Islam will say marry many “if” you can love all e.q.u.a.l.l.y. How possible is it? But the Bible has always stick to one wife one man as a general rule. Solomon and others who married more disobeyed that commandment. In summary: the greatest darkness to our salvation is the introduction of the teaching that Jesus Christ is no more the means but Mohammed. Millions have been deceive, but don’t be deceived. Anyone who doesn’t believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah has no life. John 3:36.
Plain! God bless man!!
My friend befor the jesus story or muhamed story. Our people had lives and they will always have exept u want to start killing them ur self. Let me tell u Jesus story was formulated by roman emperors and used it to rule the world and jerusalem for 500 years. Why do they formulate it? Answer is they wanted to confuse the isrealites wish they didnt succeed thats why isreal suffered in their hands for a long time. If u read the bible carefully expecially the furged new testament they hardly critisized the romams and ceaser is always given is respect. And the isrealites seems to be the one who deosnt like so called jesus wish never existed. That is where story for start. For prof muhamed he saw dat the politics of europeans of wish has always been rivals with pasians and cipros he quickly understood the politics and begin to write another book that will put arabs ontop too. So i dont blame them at all. Its to me like naija confratanity. Eye aye and so on and fort my anger is that watin con cocern we africans for these arab european confratanity in the name of religion. If i become a Naija presido or even high rank soldier. I will wake my people up by force. Both north and south
Nice piece@ DjCH….
hmmmm…DjCh guess uve said it all..we are not trying to condemn the muslim but they should see the fact of what they are practicing…it just like changing the 10 commandment wich God gave moses because we’re no longer in the stone age then we decide to drop part of it…what i observe here is that they’re the one creating their law for the themselves..